


Blackwood

by ShivaeSyke



Series: Blackwood [1]
Category: Black Rose (Webcomic), Strange Magic (2015)
Genre: Alchemy, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Original, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Hunters, Blood and Torture, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Slow Burn, Vampires, Were-Creatures, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2020-09-06 08:48:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 63,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20288713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShivaeSyke/pseuds/ShivaeSyke
Summary: Bogdan Laird owns the town of Blackwood and miles of the surrounding forested land.  Most of it is off-limits to visitors.  Other parts are open for tourism and Blackwood is a self-sufficient community that's on the rustic side, inviting campers and hikers to enjoy its beauty.The neighboring town of Rock Castle is the complete opposite.  It's a modern city primarily owned and run by the King Family.  The Kings are NOT welcome in Blackwood.  They are a well-known family that hunts all manner of supernatural creature and their name is spoken in warning to those who need to be concerned.The Kings would like to convince Bog to allow them to hold an upcoming wedding in the Blackwood forest.  Bog hates weddings.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is set my own personal universe which I do comic work in called Black Rose. It's a world of alchemy, vampires, were-creatures and hunters. All three categories HATE each other. It took me three weeks from August 12th to September 1st to write 35 chapters and 53,280 words. That's just how much I loved what I was writing. Now I just have to get a wee bit better drawing human Bog, because humans are hard and I want to get him right.

“Absolutely not.” Bogdan Laird loomed over Lucas King. His bright blue eyes gleamed and his pale face was contorted in annoyance. It did little to intimidate the older man he was facing. Lucas King was a good six feet tall himself. The two cut an interesting picture of opposites.  
Bog, as he was affectionately referred to by the citizens of Blackwood, was a tall man. He was in his usual work dress, a nice black dress shirt and black slacks. His short spiked hair was black and he was clean-shaven with a neat well-groomed appearance.

  
Lucas King was a middle-aged, smartly dressed businessman with salt and pepper hair and a matching beard. He was a bit overweight but held himself like a much younger fitter man. Bog didn’t scare him in the least.

  
Every month, for the last four months, Lucas King had sauntered into the Blackwood Tavern to speak with Bog. The request had been the same each time. His eldest daughter was getting married in the fall. They wanted to secure a small section of Blackwood Forest for a wedding and reception.

  
“There will be no weddings in my forest.” Bog kept his eyes on Lucas King, careful not to let his eyes stray to the young woman at his side, the future bride. She had caught his attention the moment she had entered with her father and younger sister.

  
This was the first time Lucas King had brought his daughters with him. Bog knew why. Lucas King was trying to manipulate him.

  
The older girl was well into her twenties with the same fair colored complexion as her father. She had short thick brown hair that was layered with amber highlights. Her eyes, which Bog only saw briefly, matched her hair. She was wearing a nice hip-length dark purple blouse with a subtle shiny flowery design in it. White dress pants and shiny-not-for-the-outdoors white shoes finished off her outfit.

  
The younger sister had a full and luxurious mop of curly blonde hair. It stuck up here and there like she had a permanent case of static electricity. She had a cherubic face and bright blue eyes. Unlike her sister, she was dressed for comfort. The tie-dyed peach and orange sundress she had on matched her hyperactive movements. It naturally flowed with her.

  
The younger had already strayed off and was flirting with Bog’s much younger brother. The bronze-skinned innocent was completely taken off guard by the beautiful flirt. Sunny had been adopted when he was a much younger child and he was dark complected with dark brown hair. It was spiked up like Bog's and he was wearing the same black dress shirt with black pants.

  
The older sister stood by her father. Her expression said this entire meeting was awkward and she wished she was anywhere but here. She kept her soulful amber lit eyes off of Bog. He assumed it was his appearance that made her look away. When he was angry, he didn’t look exactly welcoming.

  
“Ye can leave now.” Bog took a step back. He was uncomfortable with the girl’s manners. She could at least look him in the eye. Instead, she seemed to be fixated on his legs. Bog was painfully aware of how people saw him. He was too tall and too thin with broad shoulders.

However, he was fit and in full control of his body. Bog came across as a person who was always aware of his surroundings and on guard. At times he looked like stalking predator. Bog didn’t enjoy that perception, but he couldn’t do anything about it.

  
The girl, Cari, Cori, Mari? Bog had been so angry when he had seen Lucas King that he hadn’t paid attention to her name. She was biting her lower lip and she glanced up at Bog, meeting his brilliant blue eyes for the briefest of seconds. Her eyes glinted with the most amazing fiery light. Bog couldn’t remember seeing in any girl from Rock Castle with that kind of repressed intensity. This girl was more trouble than she first appeared.

  
“I will pay you twice as much to use this one area.” Lucas King persisted. He gestured with his hands to show he was ready to throw around a massive amount of money. The amount he had offered had doubled with every visit. Why shouldn’t it? He was rich and his spoiled daughters got everything they wanted.

  
“Dad.” Jenni, Nancy, Tammy? The girl spoke her first word and it came out with a strain of embarrassment that Bog was all too familiar with. He glanced to the side where his mother was standing behind the bar with a cloth in one hand. She was pretending, very badly, that she was cleaning. Zelda ran the cloth up and down the bar while she listened in on the conversation. She was giving Bog a dirty look.

  
“Marianne, let me handle this.” Lucas King patted his daughter on the shoulder before turning a more serious look at Bog. “Why won’t you let us hold a wedding in the forest? You let complete strangers wander through the woods. They go camping, eat here and hold gatherings. A public road goes through your town.” The road did go through town, splitting the forest around it into two separate pieces. The smaller side on the south was open to the public. The north was off-limits to everyone but townspeople and it was heavily guarded.

  
“No weddings.” Bog doubled down, dragging the s into a hiss. “It doesn’t matter if it’s ye or any random other couples. No weddings. I’m not singling ye out.”

  
“You don’t allow anyone from Rock Castle into the North forest for anything.” Lucas King pointed out sharply. Bog leveled a dark gaze on the elder man. He had his reasons. Lucas King had his theories. Neither wanted to prove them one way or another.

  
“I only allow people to hunt fer food an cull problem beasties." Bog spoke low and seriously his eyes fixated on Lucas King’s. “I determine what comes an goes in there. Ye are not allowed because ye have no respect.”

  
Lucas King snorted in annoyance. “We aren’t planning on hunting.”  
“Fer now.” Bog rolled his eyes and found Marianne looking at him. He fe

lt embarrassed and turned away, running a hand through his hair. She was looking at him. He had her complete attention.   
He didn’t want it.

  
He heard his mother clucking her tongue by the bar.

  
“I have my reasons.” Bog growled turning back to Lucas King. He jabbed a finger in the direction of the door. “We are done. Please leave.” He was terse but far more polite than he had been during their last conversation. As much as he did not like Lucas King, his daughters were here. In Bog’s eyes, they were ladies and deserved to be respected based on that fact alone. He would treat them as such unless they gave him a reason not to.

  
“Very well.” Lucas King nodded. “Dawn, we are leaving.” He draped one arm around Marianne’s shoulders. She worried her lower lip like she was uncertain and wanted to say something. It was a little cute and Bog was waiting to see what she was holding back. She chose not to speak, much to Bog's disappointment.

  
“Oh, dad!” Dawn giggled as she continued to fluster the object of her attentions. She had a phone in one hand and had finished entering his number into it. “This is Sunny!” She grabbed the boy by the arm and hauled him after her to meet her father. Lucas King gave the boy one critical look and then he closed his eyes and sighed. Sunny wilted at the unspoken criticism.

  
“Dawn. It’s time to go.”

  
“Dawn!” Marianne launched into action, chiding her younger sister. She had to pry her hand off of Sunny’s arm, but did so in a sisterly fashion, grabbing her sister’s wrist in her slender hands. She had very pretty hands. She gave Sunny a brilliant smile of apology. “I’m sorry about this, Sunny. She’s a little handsy.”

  
“Oh, it’s okay!” Sunny said with more apology than thanks. He smiled at Dawn. Sunny was clearly stricken by the pretty blond girl. She had an infectious aura of happiness and joy that flowed off of her. She giggled and blew him a kiss. Her father sighed again, a deeper resigned sigh. Bog scowled, the lines across his face deepening in disgust.

  
The Kings made their way out the front door without any further incidents. Before the door closed behind them, Marianne turned and held it open. She smiled at Bog and her eyes twinkled. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Bogdan Laird.” Then she closed the door and missed Bog making a completely baffled face. Half of his upper lip lifted and his jaw dropped. She had actually meant it. He could hear it in her voice. He had expected something more sarcastic when she opened her mouth.

  
“Bog, close your mouth. It’s rude to leer at young women.” While his mother’s voice was cheerful and teasing, Bog was immediately self-conscious. He snapped his mouth shut so hard he almost bit his tongue.

  
“I am not leering, Mother.” He groaned in her direction.

  
“They are sooo pretty!” She clasped her hands together and beamed up at her tall son. Then Zelda spoke her mind. “I would love one of them as a daughter-in-law.”

  
“Not happenin’.” Bog turned away from her. She attempted to fix him up with every single available woman that walked through the door. “Unless ye want a dead son an I prefer being alive.” He turned back to his mother, gesturing wildly, “Mom! They are KINGS! They are HUNTERS!” He glanced around the tavern. Only regulars. “You know what they will do if they figure out what lives in the woods. Everyone in Blackwood would be in danger an I can not risk their lives.”

  
“I know, Dear.” Zelda patted Bog’s arm as he frowned and looked at the door.

  
“It is my responsibility to keep everyone nice and safe and inside Blackwood.” Bog stressed more to himself than his mother.

  
“She was pretty though.” Sunny whistled appreciatively, his eyes still fixed on the door.

  
“Did you give her your number?” Bog snapped at the younger man.

  
“Oh uhm,” Sunny squirmed, his whole face an admission that yes, he had. “Maybeee.” Bog glared at Sunny.

  
“Ye are not to talk to that girl. She’s trouble.” It was an outright command and Bog expected to be obeyed. Nobody talked back to him or questioned his judgment. No one except his mother and while it may have been annoying, it didn’t bother him. “I mean it, Sunny.”

  
Sunny’s phone made a tinkling sound and his face turned crimson. Bog didn’t say another word. He glared.

  
Bog looked back up at the front of the tavern. Through the windows he saw the expensive SUV leave the parking lot and make its way onto the busy main road. Bog didn’t know a lot about weddings, but he did know that they took months to secure locations ahead of the time.

  
They wanted a fall wedding when the leaves would be changing colors. They only had a few months to secure a location and were dead set on getting into the forest. Bog could say no all he wanted. If the Kings wanted into the forest they would find a way with or without his permission. Bog decided that as soon as fall arrived he would step up the patrols. The border between Rock Castle and Blackwood needed to be protected. It was the only way to keep everyone safe.

  
A dull pain seized Bog’s heart and he lifted his hand to rub over his chest. No. Marianne’s beautiful eyes were fixed in his thoughts for a moment. Absolutely not. That was not possible. Not her. A sense of loss filled his soul and brought with it a heavy sadness. Bog wanted to see her again. He pushed the feeling down and away. He replaced it with plotting on how he was going to handle the King Wedding Situation.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marianne and Dawn chat about Bog and Marianne has some uncertainties about Roland.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can. Not. Stand. It.  
This novel is fully written out. Not only did it only take 3 weeks, but I already started on more and it's a fifth of the way through.

Marianne smiled as her sister snuggled up against her in the back seat of the SUV. Their father was sitting in the front doing business on his phone and chatting with the driver. He couldn’t hear them whispering and their giggles were normal happy daughter sounds. That's all that mattered.

“Sunny is so cute! I’m texting him! See!” Dawn shoved her phone in Marianne’s face. The screen was full of an already lengthy amount of silly teenage banter. There was some apology about Bog and a comment that he was actually a nice guy. Sunny was his adopted little brother. He worked as a forest guide for visitors who wanted to see the more amazing sights within the forest Blackwood took its name from. Sunny also did shifts in the tavern when it was really busy. Their mom was Zelda, the barkeeper they had glimpsed from afar. She was nice too, but because Bog was doing business kept out of things.

“I didn’t expect Bogdan Laird to be so young,” Marianne whispered with a smile.

“Young? He wasn’t that young.” Dawn pffted.

“Well, you’re a decade younger than me so your thoughts on young are way off.”

“A decade older than you is ANCIENT!” Dawn exclaimed dramatically.

“Are you saying I’m nearly ancient?!” Marianne gasped in mock offense shoving her sister on the shoulder. Both girls giggled for a couple of minutes.

“You’re saying you liked him, aren’t you?” Dawn whispered.

Marianne cocked her head at her sister, thinking over her response. She was engaged to be married and she deeply loved Roland, but every now and then little doubts crept into her head. She was 27 and her dating life before Roland had been nonexistent. He had shown up with his charming smile and a string of history as one of the best hunters of his generation. He was dashing with his blonde hair and pale green eyes. 

He dressed to perfection. He spoke with a strong southern twang that Marianne found so adorable. His hair. That gorgeous blond head of perfect hair that was never out of place. It was his pride and joy. He was a little vain, but it was nothing that dampened Marianne’s love for him. He said all the right things, but on occasion, he slipped up. Something came out that made Marianne concerned and confused. Most of it she wrote off as her lack of experience with men. She had problems getting beyond a first date for whatever reason. She assumed it was her interests in exploding things and combat training. Most men didn't like a woman who could create firebombs out of thin air and loved the sound of swords in combat.

Now Bog. The moment she saw him she couldn’t take her eyes off of him. He was the opposite of Roland. He seemed real in ways that Roland often felt artificial. Bogdan Laird was a confident powerful man who did not care how others saw him. His height had immediately caught her off guard and to avoid staring she had looked to the floor. She had only ventured a few quick glances at him, studying his features with discretion. His face was lined heavily with expression. At first, she was only able to see the anger and passionate stubbornness he put on for his father, but those eyes. She caught him looking at her and something in them registered when they made contact. His reaction had not been the normal one when she met another man’s eyes. 

Bog’s eyes fled from hers like she was going to see something he did not want her to see. It only made her desire to know more about him even stronger. Marianne assumed he wasn’t what most women would consider attractive at first glance. But when you began studied him, you could see so much in his face. Even in those quick glances, she had seen a lifetime of detail. His whole life was written on his face and in those eyes. Beautiful striking blue eyes.

“Mariannnne.” Dawn wheedled digging her elbow into Marianne’s side.

“Oh. Oh!” Marianne smiled softly. “Yes, he was cute, but he’s a Laird and you know what dad says about him and his family.”

“They have secrets and someday, we’re going to find out what they are.” Marianne and Dawn giggled as they mimicked their father.

“He’s too tall.” Dawn hissed with a grin.

“I thought he was just about right.” Marianne tilted her head to rest on Dawn’s so she wouldn’t have to look her in the face. Her eyes drifted up to the ceiling of the SUV as she thought about that brief moment when she could see his eyes. It was a memory she wanted to lock into her mind no matter how fleeting it was. She would most likely never see him again, but she would carry those beautiful eyes with her.

“Buttercup!” Roland greeted Marianne with affection as she left the SUV. It had taken an hour to get home and her fiance was waiting for her when they arrived. He took Marianne in his arms and spun around a couple of times before setting her back on the ground. It was just enough to make her dizzy. Marianne giggled as Roland embraced her and planted a sloppy kiss on her forehead.

“Hi, Roland!” Dawn giggled bouncing past the pair with her phone in hand. “I met a boy!”

“Hope he’s a good one.” Roland cast his perfect smile in Dawn’s direction. Then he turned his affections back to Marianne. He squeezed her in a gentle embrace.

“Roland.” Lucas King nodded at Roland. “Good to see you.”

“I wanted to check on the wedding location, but I was a little late getting in.” Roland dropped his hand to Marianne’s waist. His fingers curled up under the hem of her blouse so that he was caressing bare flesh. Marianne fought the urge to squirm away. It tickled and made her uncomfortable. He was often more hands-on and pushy than Marianne liked. He did this far more than Marianne liked. It was another one of those little things Marianne assumed would get better with time. Surely she would be more comfortable when they were actually married.  
He was the only man that had ever been even remotely interested in her. Because he was the only one, he had to BE the one for her. Right? 

Marianne wished that her mother was still alive so she could ask for her advice. She had passed away before Marianne had become a teenager.  
“I love you.” Roland pressed his lips to Marianne’s cheek. She giggled and turned to meet him. Kissing. That was fun and Roland was good at it. Everything about Roland was perfect. Marianne pushed her uncertainties away. 

She had to. 

They were going to be married in a few months.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have written some cringe worthy stuff involving Roland... wow.. that's part of why I had to begin updating this. He's just so awful.
> 
> Chapter 3 will go up this evening as well.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog meets Roland. Roland is awful. Girls need pie!

A month later, Roland accompanied Lucas King and his daughters to Blackwood Tavern. This time, they ordered breakfast and did not ask for Bogdan. He saw them and had an immediate distrust for the blonde pretty boy. He watched the table from the kitchen where he couldn’t be seen. Bog was fixated on Marianne from the moment she stepped into the tavern. Sunny was serving the table. He had pushed the waitress that initially met them out of the way mid-order. He only had eyes for the giggling youngest daughter. Bog hoped he actually got the order right and filed it back that he needed to have another chat with Sunny.

Bog’s mother caught him sneaking peeks at the table and put two and two together. “Dear, why don’t you go out and greet them. Politely.” She stressed the last word. “Just treat them like any other diners.”

“They are Kings.” Bog grumbled, tearing his gaze away. “They are not like any other diner. The pain returned. It hit him in the chest with a sense of urgency. It was almost enough to drive him out and into the dining room, but he leaned down and grabbed the counter instead. He would not move. His legs were lead and he could ignore what his heart was telling him. It would only lead to pain and misery. He never wanted to go through it again. It wasn’t worth it.

“Bogdan.” Zelda touched Bog’s arm and looked up at him in concern. 

“I’m fine, Mother.” Bog pushed himself away from the table, building up his resolve.

“There’s a gathering next month. You should go to it.”

“I am too old for gatherings, Mother.” Bog shook his head. “There is no one out there for me. Please stop trying to force women on me.”

“I don’t want you to die sad and alone.” Zelda jumped at Bog and wrapped her arms around his waist giving him a strong motherly hug.  
Bog sighed, then smiled and hugged her back. He really did love his mother. He loved his family and he loved his people. He did not need a girl. “Is there something about one of the girls, Bogdan?” Zelda whispered curiously.

“No.” Bog snapped harsher than he intended. His mother narrowed her eyes at him and frowned, but didn’t say what was immediately on her mind. “Sorry, Mother.” He apologized straightening up. He tugged at the collar of his black dress shirt. Then he ran his hands down the front making sure it was smooth. Zelda stared at him. Was Bog … preening? If he was, he wasn’t aware of it. Bog stuck his hands into his pockets to make sure nothing was sticking out of them. Then he smiled awkwardly at his mother and pushed the door open to the dining room still looking at her.

Sunny didn’t have a chance.

Bog walked right into his little brother who was carrying a tray full of glasses. Bog fell all over Sunny with a shout. Glasses flew into the air and crashed onto the floor nearby. They shattered on contact sending shards of glass, cola and partially melted ice all over the floor. Griselda sighed pushing the door open to see the disaster that had unfolded in front of her. Bog and Sunny were momentarily too stunned to move. Then Bog made the mistake of shaking his head to clear the fog. His eyes locked on the elder King girl. She was smiling at him in the middle of a giggle.

Embarrassed, Bog rose to his feet pulling Sunny with him by his collar. He stumbled back into the kitchen half carrying half dragging his younger brother with him. Bog steadied himself and Sunny while their mother watched with folded arms. “I didn’t hurt ye, did I?” Bog distracted himself by patting Sunny over the shoulders and sides, checking for injuries.

“I’m fine.” Sunny grunted in annoyance. “Hey,…” A massive grin spread over Sunny’s face as he looked at Bog. “WHY is your face so red?!”  
Bog recoiled in horror. Why was his face red? He lifted his fingers to his cheek and realized how hot his face felt. “Why is YOUR face so red?” Bog retorted.

“Because YOU fell on it, duh!” Sunny shook his head and darted across the kitchen to grab a broom and dustpan to clean up the mess.

“Dear.” Zelda shook her head and started fussing with Bog. “Dear.” Sunny cheerfully ran past them. Bog stood and let his mother check his clothes. One of the drinks had spilled on him so he was going to have to change his shirt and pants. “Go on, get changed. I will talk to the Kings.”

“Mother.” Bog was terrified to leave his mother in charge in this particular instance. He gave her a serious look. “No weddings, Mother. I will be back in a few minutes.”

Bog hurried to the back office where he kept several changes of clothes. Accidents with food and drink were a common occurrence and he was always prepared for them. He had to get out of his clothes and into clean ones as quickly as possible. There was no telling what his mother would be talking about to the Kings. She didn’t see them as dangerous people. She only saw two available girls and grandchildren. Bog groaned at the thought. He had caught her numerous times moaning under her breath about her precious sensitive boy. What a great father he would make with the right girl and how adorable her dozen grandchildren would be. He could have sworn she had even given them names.

The office wasn’t very big and Bog stumbled around in it trying to get everything off and fresh clothes back on without tripping over the office chairs. His long limbs were not helping. Normally he wasn’t in a hurry. Bog swore as he whirled around and ended up falling on a desk. It creaked and for the briefest of moments, Bog envisioned everything on it, files, boxes, desktop computer crashing to the floor around him. Bog regained his feet and sighed, thankful that nothing moved. Why was he acting like this? This wasn’t normal. He was never in a hurry. 

Bog took a deep breath, steadied himself and sat in a chair to finish taking off his clothes the correct way. For some reason, he had been trying to pull his pants off with his shoes still on. He stared at the twisted up fabric for a moment. This was so stupid. There was no reason for him to be so off guard. That girl was doing something to his head and knowing the Kings it wasn’t a natural thing. Maybe they knew. They had wanted permission to go into the Blackwood Forest for decades. They were always denied. This might be some new tactic. Bog grumbled, removed his shoes and more methodically undressed and redressed. He couldn’t trust them. He didn’t know them and trusting women was a bad idea in general. 

That girl. That Marianne. Something was off about her and he needed to keep his guard up. It should never have fallen in the first place. She’s a King. She’s as dangerous as the men. If they knew what he was there wouldn’t be any conversation. They would try to kill him then they would take the town of Blackwood and the surrounding forest by force. Everyone who lived here would die and what wasn’t killed would be thrown into a cage. And why would this happen? Because Bog had turned his head at the wrong pretty face. Bog sighed, letting his hands dangle off his knees. He was alone and could afford the momentary lapse into sadness. He was weak. He could physically be the strongest person in the world, but his heart would always be his weak link. It betrayed him frequently and the only thing he could do was mentally build a wall. 

Walls didn’t stand well with something behind them chipping away at them. Bog couldn't allow it.

Sunny was loading two trays to take to the King’s table when Bog emerged from the office. Bog reached for a plate with a huge hamburger with all the fixings and fries on it only to have Sunny slap his hand away.

“No! Not that one!” Sunny made a face at Bog. He grabbed the plate and stared at it with a strange smile. “This one is for Dawn.” Bog glared at Sunny, then picked up the plate he assumed was for Lucas King. There was a perfectly cooked rare steak on it along with a healthy helping of fresh vegetables that had been grown in a nearby field. The meat had come from a welsh steer that was walking around in a pasture two days ago. It had been butchered the day before. Bog was actually proud to serve this food to the Kings. It was all grown and produced by the people who lived in Blackwood.

Bog followed Sunny out to the dining room with the second tray. Zelda was standing next to the table, clasping her hands together. She had a massive disconcerting smile across her wrinkled face. Bog gave her a curious look in passing as she stepped aside to allow the food to be served.

“This all looks delicious.” Lucas gave the plate an appreciative smile. Then he waved a hand at Bog as if dismissing him, “I am not here to ask. You do not need to hover.” Bog took a step back. This was a completely different situation than normal. Lucas King would come in and immediately request a conversation with Bog if he was around. He had never ordered food before and Bog was taken off guard.

“Mr. King was discussing some very interesting opportunities with me, Bog.” Zelda pulled Bog aside. “You should listen to what he’s offering.”  
“After I’ve tried this.” Lucas leaned back with a piece of steak about to go into his mouth. Bog couldn’t help but turn and see if he would appreciate it or treat it as fast food. He knew the quality of the food they served. He was proud of it because he had overseen every crop and herd in Blackwood. Mr. King savored the steak, his face showing how much he liked it in ways that words would never do. “Do you mind if I finish this while it’s good and hot?”

“No.” Bog replied quietly, trying to hide his smile. “Call me when you’re ready.” He glanced at the other members of the family at the table. Dawn was sitting next to her father enthusiastically digging into her burger. Roland was sitting on the other side of the table with a soup and sandwich in front of him. His left arm was resting on the back of the booth seat behind Marianne. His fingertips were brushing Marianne’s left shoulder. She had a salad in front of her that she was picking at with what would only be described as a look of pure misery on her face.

“Ma’am.” Bog stepped to the side of the table. He had an opportunity to talk to her and was taking it. “Is there something wrong with your salad?”

“Oh no!” Marianne glanced up at him, stabbed a fork into the middle of the salad and stuffed lettuce and cucumber into her mouth. “It’s delicious.” Her forced smile told Bog otherwise.

“Allow me to bring ye something I think ye would enjoy more?” Bog didn’t want her to leave with a bad impression. 

“Like what?” Marianne had this strange look of hope on her face as she gazed up at him.

“My mother makes the most wonderful Peach Apple pie. On the house.” Bog offered.

“Ye-”

“Buttercup! You don’t need any pie! You want to fit into your wedding dress, don’t you?” Roland interrupted in a way that truly irritated Bog. He didn’t even let her finish her answer and what he had said was rude. She should be ‘allowed’ to have pie if she wanted to. Roland dropped his arm and squeezed Marianne a little closer to him. The gesture hit every trigger in Bog it could.

“I’ll make sure it’s a small slice.” Bog smiled, pushing down the urge to have words with this possessive blond idiot. 

“I would like that.” Marianne’s face lit up and Bog melted inside. He didn’t return her smile. He was being cordial and he wasn’t going to allow some simpering little twit to bring out the worst in him. Bog walked heavily past his mother and into the kitchen. The girl wanted pie. He was going to give them a WHOLE pie and a tub of homemade vanilla ice cream to wash it down with. Maybe he’d add an assortment of homespun shakes as well. Anything to make it an offering they would feel rude to not eat most of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus we discover Bog doesn't like jerky men and is too much of a gentleman to haul him out from behind the table and punch him in the face.  
Also. Bog is a workaholic to keep his mind off of things he believes he can't have.  
As a little note: Gatherings are where people like Bog go to find husbands and wives of their OWN kind. He's failed at it every time. Obviously not a vampire.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A tour of the Laird Ancestral Home. What could go wrong?

Marianne could taste the bourbon in each bite of the massive slice of pie that Bog had placed in front of her. Roland had made a teasing tsking sound and nudged Marianne in the ribs. Then he pinched her on the side as though gathering up fat between his fingers. That. Was. Annoying. Marianne twitched away from him and shoved a huge bite of pie into her mouth. She was further gratified to see that Bog’s sharp eyes had not missed what Roland had done. Disapproval was written across his face. It encouraged her to keep enjoying the pie despite Roland’s pestering.

The food here was some of the best Marianne had ever eaten. She could tell by the idle banter with her family that her father and sister also enjoyed it. Marianne wished she had ordered something more filling than a salad. Roland had ordered for her. She hated it when he did things like that. She wasn’t a child. She could read a menu and make good choices. She could also order whatever fattening, bad for her thing she wanted. But Marianne was not going to make a scene about it in public. She would wait until she had a moment alone with him to remind him that he shouldn’t make decisions for her.

-=-=-=-=-

They were finishing up when Sunny came by the table to check on them and see if they needed anything else. When they said they were done, he left a folded check for their father. Then he shyly offered Dawn a tour of the grounds and the Laird Family home which was located behind the Blackwood Tavern.

Dawn gripped her father’s arm and bounced up and down excitedly at the offer. Lucas wasn’t nearly as happy about it, but he couldn’t say no to his youngest and Roland didn’t help.

“I’ll escort them and keep them out of trouble.” Roland volunteered with a voice full of chivalrous intent. “If it’s okay with you.” He gave Sunny a look that told him he had to agree.

“Don’t worry, Daddy.” Dawn kissed her father on the cheek. “Sunny wanted to show me around his house after I asked what it was like inside!”  
Lucas King gave Sunny a suspicious look.

“We’re just friends sir.” Sunny squirmed but was being honest. He was afraid of Mr. King and it showed.

“Very well, but come back as soon as you’re done.” Lucas consented with reluctance. “Keep an eye on them, Roland.”

“Both eyes,” Roland said with more seriousness than he needed. Marianne rolled her eyes and was putting another bite of pie into her mouth when Roland tugged at her arm. “You’re coming too, aren’t you?” He smiled one of those charming smiles.

“Yes.” Marianne took another bite and scooted out of the booth to stand beside Roland. “Please have the rest of that pie boxed up, Dad!” As much as she wanted to stay for the conversation with Bog a guilty feeling had begun welling up within her. She was getting married to the love of her life and she was going to be a perfect and loyal wife.

She had made her choice and she was going to stick to it. She wasn’t going to be one of ‘those’ women who jumped from husband to husband as they found a better replacement. That kind of life wasn’t for her. Besides. She expected the same from her husband. If she couldn’t be true to him then she had no right to get the same respect from him.

“I’m going to let my mom know where we’re going.” Sunny backed away from the table and motioned to the bar where Zelda was tending to several patrons. “Go outside and wait for me by the golf cart with the Blackwood Tavern logo on it. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Sunny all but ran to the bar as Roland took Marianne’s arm and walked her to the door. Dawn followed in an almost skipping walk. Roland made a show of opening the door for them. Marianne wanted to look back and see if she could get another glimpse of Bog before she left, but chose against it.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Blackwood Forest was beautiful. Trees towered around the Tavern and surrounding town. There were more houses easily seen up in the tree line as the land rose gently uphill. Signs were noting: No Trespassing. Private Property. Dangerous Animals. Beware of dogs. Put up all along the small field that separated the tavern from the forest. The trees were so thick here that Marianne couldn’t see more than a few feet past them.

Sunny emerged from the tavern shortly after everyone took their seats in the golf cart. Dawn was upfront while Roland and Marianne took the rear-facing back seats.

The trip up the winding road that went up the hill to Laird Hall was scenic. It was also the only way up to their house. It only took a few minutes to reach it and it was impressive. The brick and stone house was surrounded by ancient trees. They almost appeared to cradle the house between their outstretched branches. The trees were well maintained but still sprawled wildly.

The golf cart crunched over the gravel driveway to stop a short distance from the front doors. The house was an eclectic mishmash of stone and wood. The central part of the house jutted out from the rest of the building. It had three floors and was built out of large river rocks and stone blocks. It looked absolutely medieval to Marianne. For symmetry sake, the house had been expanded on both sides with massive log walls. The size of the house made it difficult for Marianne to see the sides. She caught a glimpse of what looked like a large porch wrapping the sides and heavy mesh screening. 

“And this is where I live!” Sunny had taken Dawn by the hand and was tugging her toward the heavy wood doors in the entrance.

“Wow!” Dawn giggled. “You do live in a castle!”

Roland offered his hand to Marianne to help her off the higher back end of the cart. While she didn’t mind the help, it was what he whispered that she didn’t appreciate. “What an awful place. I don’t even know if I want to go inside. It might fall down at any moment.”   
“Roland.” Marianne glared at him and leaned in closer as her feet hit the gravel. “Don’t be so rude. It’s just rustic.”

“Rustic is another word for falling apart,” Roland whispered back.

Marianne let go of Roland’s hand to hurry and catch up to Sunny and Dawn. They had just entered the front door and Sunny was politely holding it open for Roland and Marianne.

“Welcome to my home!” Sunny stepped aside to let them enjoy the view. The inside was so beautiful that Marianne’s mouth dropped open in a gasp. The mixture of golden yellow and white stone with well polished and oiled wood beams was breathtaking. The floors were solid slabs of stone. The massive entryway had a double curving staircase built into the middle of it. The area they were standing in went up the entire height of the building. Chandeliers ornamented with gold and amber lit up the room. “Kitchen and dining room are that way. We have four living areas, a pool, sauna, library, an awesome den, half a dozen bathrooms, and twelve bedrooms. The whole top floor is mine!” Sunny eagerly began walking them through the house. 

Roland kept making faces of disgust behind Sunny’s back, pointing out things that he didn’t like. There was a wall that displayed racks of antlers. Despite his distaste for hunters, Bog participated in hunting himself. There were photos of him with deer, elk, fish, pheasants, any manner of wild game all over one hallway. All the photos had a much older man in them, likely his father. Marianne noticed that the photos ended at a point when Bog was an older teenager. The photos were more sparse and featured simple portraits. One a year and he didn’t look happy. Every single one of them had a thin-lipped smile that said ‘I’m doing this for my mother’.

The wall on the other side held happier subjects. Various family-style photos lined the wall. Opposite the ‘Wall of Bog’, at the same point, his portraits became only him, the photos were only of him, his mother and brother. Family members had vanished from the photos across from him all at once. At least twenty people. Gone. Marianne wondered what had happened to the Laird family at this point.

“You know what, Mari.” Roland grabbed Marianne’s arm. He turned her toward a more recent painted portrait of Bogdan sitting in a book-filled study. “That is one hideous man. Look at his nose! He could kill a man with that thing.”

Marianne was not amused. It wasn’t a nice thing to say and it lit an angry ember deep down inside of her. “Roland.” She hissed at him to keep his voice down.

“He’s all legs and crooked teeth,” Roland added with a mocking laugh gesturing at the portrait. Then Marianne noticed that in every single photo and portrait on the wall if Bog was smiling, he did so in a way that never showed his teeth. And that made Marianne sad. Yes, they were not straight and perfect like Roland’s porcelain smile, but it didn’t matter. They were real. Marianne knew for a fact that Roland had several implants and had expensive surgeries done to correct a few flaws when he was younger. 

“Stop it, Roland. We are guests.” Marianne jabbed him in the side and briskly walked down the hall. Sunny and Dawn were nowhere in sight.  
“This family has awful priorities.” Roland snorted as they walked past a book-filled library.

The tour continued through the house and on into the back courtyard. Trees wrapped around the back yard just like they did at the front of the house. The backyard opened into a very nicely kept lawn area the size of a football field. Hedges surrounded the back yard in what looked like a maze pattern of varying sizes.

A massive covered wood deck wrapped around the length of the back of the house. Screened in porches covered parts of the deck area but it extended a good ten feet further. The view from here was an all-natural, untouched forest in the distance. 

“Are you thirsty? I can bring you something to drink.” Sunny offered everyone. “You can stay out here for a few minutes if you like while I get them.”

“I’ll help!” Dawn volunteered cheerfully.

Marianne glanced at Roland, wondering if they should go back inside. Roland’s eyes were fixated on the hedge and the forest beyond it.   
“Don’t go wandering outside the yard. You don’t want to end up in the forest. It’s easy to get lost and there are wild animals out there.” Sunny threw out the warning as he held the door open for Dawn.

The moment the door closed, Roland stepped off the porch and made a beeline for the hedge. Marianne double blinked. What was he doing? “Roland!” Marianne ran after him. He turned around and began taking photos on his cell phone. “What are you doing?!”

“What does it look like I’m doing, Honeybun?” Roland grinned at her as he swept the phone around to make sure he got as many details as he could. “Research.”

Marianne grabbed for the phone, but Roland nimbly danced out of her reach. He turned and walked into an opening in the hedge. “Just want to get to the other side and see how the forest looks.”

“Roland! No!” Marianne hesitated at the entrance. She glanced back at the house with its warm and friendly amber lit windows. Then she looked at at the hedge which led into the edge of a very dark forest. “Roland!” She ventured a step in. Whatever he was doing. She had to put a stop to it. 

Marianne was only a few feet into the little maze when she came to an intersection. “Roland! Where are you!” She yelled for him. “We need to go back to the house!”

“Over here, Buttercup!” The cutesy pet names were getting too annoyingly sweet for Marianne’s taste. She stormed forward in the direction she thought Roland’s voice was coming from and vanished into the maze. A couple of minutes afterward, Roland came back to the intersection from one of the side routes. He had run into a dead-end and already lost his nerve. He left the maze expecting to find Marianne waiting for him inside the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be uploading two more chapters after this one, then will wait awhile for further uploads.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog figure out that the King girls and Roland are where they absolutely should not be.

Bog was disappointed to see that Lucas King was alone when he joined him in the booth. The table had been cleared and a white box with Blackwood Tavern’s logo was sitting on the table. Bog assumed the girls and Roland had gone outside and were waiting in the King’s SUV.  
“I want to give you a peace offering, Bogdan.” Lucas King began speaking and Bog found his thoughts drifting elsewhere. Something was off. No. He was imagining things. It was how odd this entire situation was in comparison to the prior meetings with Lucas. Mr. King had completely defused him. “We would like to hold our reception just outside of your town and have Blackwood Tavern cater it.”

“Okay.” Bog spoke slowly, working over his response. “Where are ye holding the wedding?”

“Property outside your forest, but it’s close enough we’ll have a lovely backdrop. No one will trespass. I promise. I’ll even sign a document stating that we will not step one foot onto your land.” Lucas smiled as he spoke. He was being genuine with his offer and Bog couldn’t find a real reason to deny it. This was good business. 

“I think we can come to a suitable arrangement.” Bog nodded. A tiny voice spoke up in the back of Bog’s head. You’ll get to see Marianne again. He snapped at the voice and told it to shut up. She had no interest in him. She would not have any interest in him. He was not interested in her. “My mother handles the catering arrangements. She will need to know the number of expected guests, what kind of budget we are working with and when. You can reserve a large number of Blackwood’s rooms for your guests as well if necessary.”

“Good. I can see this will be a wedding to remember.” Lucas King held his hand out to Bog.

“Just keep the wedding away from me,” grunted Bog accepting the hand and shaking it to seal their verbal agreement.

“Out of curiosity.” Lucas King scooted out of the booth and stood up. “Why do you hate weddings so much?”

“It’s not weddings I hate.” Bog rose to his feet and took a step back. He was scowling again. “It’s not.”

“Sorry, didn’t mean to offend.” Mr. King nodded and didn’t pursue the question. It wasn’t his business. “Could you call Sunny and let him know that we’re leaving?”

“Call Sunny?” Bog was confused by the question. Why did he need to call Sunny?

“He took Dawn, Marianne, and Roland up to your house for a tour,” Lucas stated it offhandedly as he gathered up the box on the table. He didn’t see a look of pure terror cross Bog’s face. A sickening cold feeling rippled through Bog’s body.

“I will go and get them personally.” Bog turned and walked away as fast as he could. Sunny! What have you DONE?! The last place any Kings needed to be was the house and it wasn’t because anything in the house was dangerous. No. They were safe in the house. But if they   
ventured outside the house and into the woods around it they were very likely to run into the ‘security system’.  
-=-=-=--

Bog hurriedly left the tavern through the back door. He stiffly walked past several parked vehicles. There was nobody around. Bog picked up his step as he hit the field. There was a reason the woods were allowed to be thick here and grow so close to the tavern.

“No. No. No.” Bog prayed that he would be fast enough to get to the house and round up all the invited unwanted guests before anyone got hurt. Maybe there was nothing to worry about, but then again, these were Kings. Who knows what plot they had dragged poor Sunny into.  
A few steps into the woods and Bog took one last glance around. Satisfied he would not be seen, he leaned forward allowing the change that was rippling through his body its freedom. He growled something unintelligible and his clothing vanished as the form beneath sprouted coarse black fur all over. Bog was well-practiced enough that his transformation was quick. He didn’t even wait for it to finish before darting into the woods on all fours.

As a man he had been intimidating enough, but as a wolf somewhere between the two he was a monster. Black fur bristled upon his shoulders from his agitated state making him appear even bigger than he was. His face was now completely wolf with brilliant blue eyes and gleaming white teeth. Bog sped through the forest. Even taking the long way around, he could be there in minutes. He would circle the house and get the guards to abandon their posts before anyone knew what was going in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now you know why Bog told the 3 Little Pigs the way he did. :D


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog rushes to what he hopes is not idiots in danger.

Marianne stumbled over an exposed tree root. She could see the house through the trees but was now standing on the outside edge of the hedge. She thought if she followed the hedge she would be safe. She should be able to work herself around to the side or front of the house. Every step seemed to lead her further and further into the darkness of the surrounding forest.

  
Her phone rang, reminding Marianne it was in her pocket. Relief washed over her and she retrieved it and saw Dawn’s beaming face looking at her. “Hey, Marianne, where are you?! Roland’s in the house and said you came inside.”

  
“No. I followed him into the hedge maze and he left me.” Marianne was so angry. “See!” She spun around with the phone in hand. She flipped the phone around to show off the dark forest surrounding her. When she did, she fumbled with the phone, losing her connection with Dawn. The phone flashed taking a picture.

  
The next thing Marianne knew she was facing a massive mouth full of teeth set into a wall. Marianne froze, then threw her hands up dropping her phone. A single word was spoken and flames exploded from her hands. It was a simple defense equation, but very effective. The creature, whatever it was, shrieked and swung its massive arms at Marianne. Claws slashed over her shoulder and chest. Huge curved claws that cut through cloth and flesh like it wasn’t even there.

  
Marianne was thrown to the ground still hearing the shrieking creature nearby. She blinked groggily. The pain was overwhelming and she wasn’t aware enough to do anything about it. She closed her eyes and coughed. It hurt to breathe. Then there was a weight on her chest pressing into the wounds. It had come back to finish her off.

  
She opened her eyes enough to focus on a face looming over her. Teeth. So many shiny white teeth in a massive black muzzle. She blinked and groaned as warmth flooded through the wounds. Marianne was completely unaware of how much time was or was not passing. She could suddenly breath and the pain had subsided.

  
The second time she opened her eyes she was staring up into Bogdan Laird’s concerned and very human eyes. “Hey, hey?” He was patting her on the cheek. “Ye can’t die here, Princess. Yer too tough to let a few cuts get ye. Try to stay awake.”  
Bog had arrived on the scene to see one of the massive goblins that lived outside his home stumbling away from Marianne's body. The goblin had fled, crashing into the forest with his hands over his eyes. The smell of burnt flesh and smoke clung to the area. Bog didn’t have time to check on the goblin. Marianne was in far worse shape. He had run up to her and put a paw over her wound to evaluate if he could help or not. Bog had been in wolf form when Marianne opened her eyes the first time. He had immediately reverted when she closed her eyes. He didn’t need her seeing him like that.

  
It only took a moment and the right words to heal the injuries worst damage. The hit from the goblin had crushed half of her rib cage and pushed several ribs into her lungs. She would have died if Bog hadn’t acted as quickly as he did. He couldn’t heal everything or it would create suspicion, but he could save her life. Bog quickly took off his shirt and bundled it over the still bleeding slashes. Then he picked Marianne up to carry her back through the hedge and to the house.

-=-=-=-

“Dawn, call 911 and tell them to get to the Blackwood Tavern.” Bog shouted at Dawn as he emerged into the backyard. “Sunny!” Bog roared at his little brother as he ran up the steps to the deck. “Get to the cart.” Roland stood on the deck staring in shock. “And you!” Bog glared at Roland. Why was Marianne alone? “Get out of my house!”

  
Roland didn’t say a word, darting into the house ahead of Bog. He didn't even offer to help. Bog caught the door with his foot and tried his best not to hit Marianne with the door. Nobody was going to die on his watch. He had a perfect record in keeping the things in the forest away from the outside world and vice versa. That wasn’t going to change today.

=-=-=-

There were so many questions. The ambulance had arrived and left to take Marianne and her father to Blackwood’s tiny hospital. It was a very small hospital but it would be able to handle Marianne’s injuries. She would be transported to Rock Castle medical as soon as she was stable. Bog had a few words with the local police and was going to take them up to the scene of the attack soon. Roland was on the phone nearby while Dawn was fretting about her sister. She was trying to get Roland to drive her to the hospital. He kept turning away from her, ignoring her distress.

  
And then, there was Sunny. Bog sighed at his brother. Sunny was sitting on the steps in front of the tavern with his head in his hands. Bog stepped up to Dawn while Roland’s back was turned. He leaned down, wrapped an arm around her shoulders and whispered that Marianne was going to be okay. Then he gently walked her in Sunny’s direction. “Ye two stay here.” Bog made Dawn turn so she had to sit down next to Sunny. “I need to get a shirt.” He rolled his eyes hoping the shirt he had taken off earlier had dried enough to be presentable. “Then I’ll drive ye to the hospital.” Bog couldn’t depend on Roland to do the right thing. Bog would have to do it.  
“I’m really sorry, Dawn.” Sunny couldn’t even look at her.

  
“It wasn’t your fault.” Dawn sniffled sitting completely upright, her eyes fixed on Roland. She was so mad at him, but what could she do? “Roland should have been with Marianne and they shouldn’t have left the yard. You WARNED them.” Dawn turned her attention to Sunny.

  
“Yeah, but I still feel responsible.”

  
“Oh, you do, do you?” Roland was done on the phone and now looming over Sunny.

“You leave him alone, Roland.” Dawn leaned protectively over the shorter man glaring up at Roland.

  
“Oh, I’m not going to do anything, but my lawyers are going to have a lot to say. By the time we’re done with you, this will be Roland’s Tavern!”

  
“But we didn’t do anything to Marianne!” Sunny protested. “Bog probably saved her life!”

  
“Or he attacked her!”

  
“With what? A rake?” Sunny argued back.

  
Dawn wailed wrapping her arms around Sunny. “Rolaaaand!” She was already crying, she might as well deploy it as a full-on weapon. “Go away!”

  
Bog came barging through the front doors with his shirt half-buttoned, one side off by one buttonhole. He charged directly at Roland and pulled himself up short. Bog's fists were clenched and he has a strong desire to punch him in his smug-looking face. Roland wisely backed up waving his hands in front of his face. “Where were ye? Why weren’t ye with her?!”

  
“Accidents happen.” Roland shrugged. Bog was having a difficult time controlling his urge to hit him, but he did. It had been a long time since he had been in a real fight with anyone. He didn’t feel it was worth it to punch someone as spineless as Roland. On top of that Bog knew when he was being baited into something and he would not bite. Instead, he took Dawn by one hand and produced a set of keys in the other. “Come on. I’ll get ye to yer sister.”

  
Roland grabbed Dawn’s other hand as she stood. “No. I will take her.” Dawn glared at Roland, then she jerked her hand out of Bog’s and aimed a swift and very hard kick into Roland’s groin. Both Sunny and Bog winced as Roland crumpled to the ground with a shrill screech of pain.

  
Bog approved.

  
“After ye.” Bog smiled at Dawn and bowed, holding out one hand to indicate where his car was parked. He waited for Sunny and Dawn to get around the side of the building to the employee parking lot before snarling down at Roland. “Accidents happen.”  
“You’re going to regret this,” Roland whined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of the many awful things Roland does... and one of the many awesome Dawn moments. I'm so proud of Dawn. :D
> 
> I have called my dog, whose name is Bixby, Bog... twice now. Thankfully my husband did not catch me or he would never let me forget it.
> 
> Oops. Realized this morning that I made a little error. I run these through hemingway and grammarly to fix some errors and suggest that I need to rewrite things. It helps a lot.
> 
> Comments get you updates. The whole thing is DONE and I want to share.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marianne's life is on the line and there are a lot of questions and concerns about what exactly happened. Lucas King wants those answers and he wants them now.

Marianne slipped in and out of consciousness but was vaguely aware of what had happened. The jolting ride back on the golf cart had been too much for her. She had been crying uncontrollably and then the ride became much smoother. Despite his worry, Bog had left the golf cart and carried her most of the way back to the tavern. Marianne remembered that and was thankful for it. She was hurting enough as it was without being moved around roughly. 

She was in the ambulance now with her father sitting nearby as two paramedics worked on her. One was holding a face mask over Marianne’s face and checking her vitals. The other was trying to stop her bleeding without applying pressure. He had removed Bog’s shirt to see the wound and tossed it aside. Marianne’s grip on it kept it from falling to the floor. She needed something to focus on and holding it helped. The paramedic dusted some sort of white powder over Marianne’s wound. Then he began laying down gauze. 

Lucas King watched curiously. While his focus was on his daughter, he was also paying attention to what the paramedic was doing. Blackwood had a lot of secrets. He became visibly alarmed when the white powder was applied. “What are you doing?” He was half out of his seat to intervene when the ambulance turned a corner and he was reseated.

“Please remain seated.” The paramedic didn’t glance up as he pressed the gauze down lightly. “It’s a new kind of blood clotting powder. It’s pain-free and can be removed easily when the doctors clean and suture her wounds.” Mr. King accepted the answer but kept staring at the wounds. Five distinct claw marks ran from Marianne’s left shoulder down over her chest and into her abdomen. The marks were deeper on her shoulder than her chest then they were deep again. It was one hit. A massive amount of bruising was already beginning to show. The force of it should have caused far more damage. What Lucas expected to be hearing about was not even mentioned. There was something strange about what he was seeing.

-=-=-=-=-=-

The hospital was a flurry of activity. Marianne was rushed inside and immediately sent into a surgery bay. Lucas was left outside in a waiting room to fret over arrangements following her surgery. Ten or fifteen minutes had passed when the waiting room doors flew open. Dawn burst through them and ran to her father.

“Daddy!” Dawn hugged her father then leaned back and asked in deep concern, “How is Marianne??”

“She’s in surgery.” That was all Lucas knew. “Thank you for bringing my daughter to the hospital, Rol-” The words died in his mouth. Roland wasn't there. In his place stood a disheveled Bog and his very nervous little brother. Lucas stared for a moment, sorting through a wild array of emotions.

“Ehm, yer welcome. We’ll go now.” Bog grabbed Sunny by the shoulder and aimed him back into the door they had walked through.

“No. It’s ok. I was just surprised. Where is Roland?” Lucas King shook his head, sorting out what he knew.

“Roland was busy.” Bog growled over his shoulder. “I assume he will be along with yer vehicle shortly.”

“Daddy, please, it wasn’t Sunny’s fault.” Dawn started in on her father with a sweet voice and the saddest expression she could manage. She leaned in and began whispering, “Sunny told them not to leave the backyard. Roland went into the hedge maze and Marianne followed him. Then he came back and left Marianne out there. It was not Sunny or Bog’s fault.”

“Bogdan Laird.” Lucas King settled his eyes on Bog and Sunny who were almost out the door. “What attacked Marianne?”

“A grizzly bear.” Bog already had the ‘culprit’ bagged and in storage. Although it had come in from Alaska and not his back yard. “I know the one.” He turned to face Lucas. “I will hunt it down, kill it and deliver it to ye stuffed in a fetal position so ye can kick it all ye want.”

“I would prefer to hunt it myself. It almost killed Marianne.”

“I can’t allow that.”

“Bogdan Laird. You can lead the hunting party. Just give me the opportunity to cull the beast.”

“I will take care of it.” Bog was beginning to get angry again. “Ye worry about yer daughter. I need to get back to my house and show the investigators where it happened.” Bog dragged Sunny outside with him to end the conversation. He had work to get done and a goblin to hunt down and tend to.

Lucas King stared after Bog. Things like this happened. Yet, he also knew that grizzlies were not found anywhere near Blackwood. He would have to ask Bog about that next time he saw him, which might not be a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bogdan Laird likes backup plans and preparing for everything he can think of. So yes. He has a grizzly bear in a freezer and a story he can easily create since the Blackwood police are all his and will do whatever he tells them to.
> 
> I had to do research into the fact that we DO have powders that stop the bleeding. We've seen them used in various movies, but I found out that these things are typically very nasty and hard to remove from the wounds. I found all this out researching how you stopped bleeding with slashes/mauling that left a lot of parallel injuries. We do have some that aren't so bad but what the paramedics are using is something even better that is only available in Blackwood. ;)
> 
> In case anyone ever thinks of it. Those black work shirts all have a logo for Blackwood Tavern on them. Bog can't recreate them in as good of detail. He can't just clean and dry his clothes either. It's not within his capabilities. It ruins the fabric quality.
> 
> Comments get chapters. :D If I get more, I should get another chapter up this evening.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog has to handle the attack as well as the goblin that attacked Marianne.

The rest of the afternoon was spent formulating the report with the police. Bog took them to where he had found Marianne. He gave them every detail and stressed that they put 'rogue bear' in their report. Further work would be done to declare the bear was an illegally dumped pet that had gotten too big for its owner. That should cover all the details. A simple bear attack.

When the police left, Bog did another sweep of the area, trying to figure out exactly what had happened. The Goblin he had seen was doing its job and Marianne had lit his face on fire. That meant he was right about the Kings. They WERE hunters.

Something glinted near the base of a nearby tree. Bog investigated and immediately found Marianne’s phone. The case had protected it from damage when it fell. Bog tapped it and it went straight to the home screen. It appeared that Marianne didn’t have any sort of password set.  
Bog hesitated a moment, thinking it over. He should return the phone, but first, he needed to check to see if any photos had been taken. The first photo was of a startled looking goblin’s face. Bog groaned and deleted it immediately. The rest of the photos were of Dawn, Roland, a couple of fat round dogs that didn’t appear to have real legs, and nature. Hundreds of pictures of sunsets, sunrises, clouds, trees. Bog skimmed through a number of them with a slight smile. He began walking into the woods while looking at the photos.

After a few minutes of walking, Bog pocketed the phone and concentrated on finding the goblin. He could smell something burnt nearby and knew he was on the right track. Bog walked up a small rise near a tiny stream and was rewarded with the sight of a massive goblin. He was laying near the stream. His face was covered in mud and he whined when he heard Bog. It looked like his eyes were swollen shut under the layer of mud.

“Brutus.” Bog lifted a hand and slowly approached the goblin. Brutus was at least six foot tall and just as wide. He had a mouth full of razor-sharp fangs, massively muscled arms, and short stout legs. He looked scary, but to Bog he was as harmless as a puppy. The only thing he had to worry about was the goblin running off to hide. “I’m going to take care of the burn, but ye need to stay still. I know ye were doing your job.”  
“I wasn’t trying to eat her. I was going to scare her and she blew up in my face.” Brutus mumbled. He allowed Bog to approach. The goblin closed his eyes and leaned his head toward Bog.

Bog lifted his hand and pressed his fingers through the mud. Brutus grimace and then sighed as Bog’s fingertips glowed where they were touching his face. A moment later Bog withdrew his hand and Brutus blinked, able to see again. “She hit me with fire.”

“Yes, I figured that out.” Bog nodded. “Why don’t ye get some rest.”

“She hit me with fire.”

Goblins. They were very simple creatures. “Brutus, ye need to go back to yer cave and sleep.” Bog ended up ordering the goblin to go.

“She hit me with fire.” Brutus lowered his head and repeated himself one more time. Then he turned and ambled into the forest.

=-=-=-=-=-=-

It was midnight when Bog found himself alone and left to his thoughts. He had closed the tavern for the night and chose to walk home instead of taking the cart up with his mother. He needed the breathing room. Bog did consider a quick run through the woods. But instead of invigorating, it sounded more tiring than he wanted to deal with. He walked through the woods, taking the same path he had run earlier in the day.

  
He was going to have a drink when he got home. It wasn’t something he did often. Not after that awful Sugar had recommended that a stiff drink would loosen him up enough to talk to a girl he had a crush on. He had stumbled all over the girl while trying to profess his love for her. She had rejected him with the most hurtful words possible. She had been so angry. Every single word that Bog would have used to describe himself on his lowest days came out of her mouth. He was a tall, gangly freak of nature which should be digging in graveyards for a date and not attending school dances. He was ugly. Bog didn’t have a high opinion of himself, to begin with.

  
Bog was 17. Sugar had been arrested for serving alcohol to a minor. Bog had let her sit in Blackwood’s private prison for a year and then assigned her to work at the distillery. She was not allowed to serve drinks without supervision. She had a talent for coming up with some fantastic concoctions, and Bog never had to speak with her. He let his mother keep her in check.

  
That encounter had been a turning point in his life in many ways. If that’s what people thought about him, then he might as well live up to it. He didn’t need them. They needed him. He took care of the town and its citizens but kept them all at arm’s length. He was Blackwood’s guardian. That was his role to play. He was the only one who could do it. He took consolation in the fact that they would miss him when he was gone.  
From that day on, Bog also swore that he would never put himself in a situation where he wasn’t entirely in control again. That meant that he was careful about what he drank and how much. He never had a drink outside of his home.

  
After the long stressful day, Bog decided he could allow himself to relax with one hard root beer. Sugar always made sure there was a bottle or two sent in with the monthly crate of locally brewed root beer that was sent up to the house. She knew he didn’t drink often, but she included them anyway, and they were gone by the time the next shipment came in. It was an annoyingly thoughtful gift from an awful person. Bog had never understood if she was being nice or liked the thought that she gave him a temptation that he fell to every month. Most likely, the latter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brief mention of Sugar/Sugar Plum. Sugar is AWFUL. Really. Really. Awful. 
> 
> As before: Comments get you a chapter tomorrow! Bog has to return that phone and he's a goof. :D
> 
> I did my first test sketches of everyone so images will be added.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog visits Marianne in the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first pass at drawing them! This was a quick lineup and Bog is not as tall as he should be.

A week passed with Marianne in and out of consciousness. She would wake up for a few minutes at a time, then fall back asleep. Dawn and her father were often in the room. Sometimes she would see Roland, but he would sit in a nearby chair and talk on his phone. One time, she could have sworn she saw him flirting with a pretty young nurse right next to the bed.

“Sorry, this happened to ye, Princess.” Marianne’s eyes fluttered open at a voice and something being laid down on the table next to her bed. “I brought ye yer phone. Couldn’t get up here to bring it in sooner. Hope ye didn’t need it.”

  
“Bogdan?” Marianne smiled. Bog glanced around and seeing nobody to stop him, pulled a chair closer to the bed.

  
“How are ye doing?”

  
“Doctors say I’m going to recover, but I’ll never write with my left hand again,” Marianne stated seriously.

  
“Oh.”

  
Silence.

  
“I’m right-handed, Bog. I could never write with my left hand anyway.” Marianne cracked a smile and Bog awkwardly smiled back.

“Heh.” Bog offered up an uncomfortable laugh. “If ye don’t mind. Do ye remember what attacked ye? I want to make sure I got the right beastie.”

  
“It was the biggest black wolf I’ve ever seen.” Marianne didn’t hesitate in her response and Bog’s heart sank. He hadn’t expected her to have seen him clearly or even remember it.

  
“Are ye sure it wasn’t a bear?”

  
“No. It was a wolf. It was standing over me before you showed up.”

  
“There’s a pack of wolves in the forest.” Bog ventured with care. “But a wolf doesn’t use its claws like that. I think yer mistaken.”

  
Marianne grunted as she forced her shoulder up enough so that she could stare into Bog’s eyes. “I know what I saw. It wasn’t a normal wolf. What are you hiding in that forest, Bog?”

  
Bog sighed and looked away. “Fer yer own good, stay out of my forest.”

  
“Whatever it is, is dangerous.”

  
“Ye were in a place ye weren’t supposed to be and ye were warned.” Bog rose to his feet. “Wild animals do what wild animals do. Why should it die because ye couldn’t follow the rules?”

  
“I didn’t mean to.” Marianne bit her lower lip and looked like she was about to cry. She fell back onto her back with a pained gasp. “I was trying to stop Roland.”

  
“Stop him from what?” Bog stood at the foot of Marianne’s bed, having been halfway to the door. Marianne didn’t reply. “I guess I don’t have any right expecting an answer. Have a good life, Marianne.” Bog left the room and Marianne sniffled.

  
She was conflicted and it was more of a desire to know than to kill the wolf. She knew exactly what she had seen, even if everything else around it was hazy.

  
There was a werewolf in the dark forest and Bog was protecting it.

-=-=-=-

Marianne lied to her father when she told him it was a bear that had attacked her. He accepted the answer because it was what had been reported. He had no reason to believe Marianne would make anything up.

  
She decided to lie when she picked up her phone and found that Bog had taken a selfie on it. He had created a contact entry and left two numbers she could reach him on if she needed anything. The selfie was ridiculous but better than the portraits from the ‘Wall of Bog’.

  
Marianne renamed the entry to Blackwood Tavern so it wouldn’t appear personal to Roland. That was why her phone didn’t have a password in the first place. Roland liked having access to what Marianne was doing and Marianne didn’t have anything to hide. She didn’t feel guilty about it, because Bog WAS the owner of the Blackwood Tavern. They WERE catering the reception.

  
She didn’t call him or message him. The entry sat on her phone and she smiled every time she scrolled past it to take care of wedding business. The weeks had flown by and Marianne was recovering. She had daily physical therapy for her left shoulder and the stitches had come out after two weeks. She would have scars, but it didn’t bother her. They were superficial.

  
Yet, Marianne did notice that the scars bothered Roland. He avoided touching them or anywhere near them. That did mean that he was rarely clinging to her as he had in the past, but it was also unsettling. Roland still professed his love for her as enthusiastically as ever, but he did it with his hands to himself. Marianne still nursed doubts about Roland. But then he would do something sweet and thoughtful and they would go away. She was being silly and imagining things. She had no proof that he didn’t love her, but plenty that he did and she loved him. Absolutely. That was why she could overlook the odd little thing here and there.

  
Marianne pushed her doubts further and further away. This was another reason she had never had a boyfriend before. The constant little voice that popped up and told her that they were pretending to like her. It was because she was a King that she was treated nicely. Roland was different. He was already rich and a well-known hunter. He didn’t have anything to gain that he didn’t already have.

  
Except for the King name. The voice piped up again. No. No. Marianne pushed it away. She loved him and he loved her. That’s why they were getting married and the date was coming up soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Doubting doubting Marianne. If only she listened to those doubts. Aaand the beginning of Marianne trying to lighten up a far too serious Bog. The thing she does to him....
> 
> Haha.. I just looked up the Laird tartan, because I have ideas, and it is primarily PURPLE. I chose the name Laird because it means lord/person who owns a large estate. :D


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog and Sunny get surprise visitors!

Bog gave his brother a sidelong glance. He was on his phone again giggling and texting like a mad man. For some reason, he had just pointed his phone at Bog before more giggling ensued. The pair were sitting in the den watching a movie, but Sunny hadn’t looked up at the screen in the last half hour. Instead, he was reclining on one of the two comfy couches with pillows propping him up. Bog had taken over the other couch and was dangling a bottled root beer in one hand.

  
“Who are ye talking to, Sunny?” Bog tipped the bottle to his mouth.

  
“No one.” Sunny’s face turned bright red.

“I told ye to stop talking to that girl.”

  
“I’m not talking to her.” Sunny continued texting. “I’m texting.” He added. “Besides, we’re just friends.” Then he sighed. Bog rolled his eyes.

  
He went back to watching the movie, but his mind was no longer on it. He needed Sunny to stop texting Dawn. Every now and then he would walk in on Sunny and their mother laughing over something and catch snippets of the conversation. Sunny was obsessed with her and they hadn’t even seen each other since the hospital.

  
The hospital brought back other memories. Bog had been able to find news about Marianne’s recovery. He regretted some of the things he said to her when he had brought her the phone and his stupidity in making a contact in it. It was such a dumb thing to do and maybe she even thought he was invading her privacy. He had looked at a lot of her photos, but that’s what you did when you found a phone and it was unlocked. He hadn’t tried to access anything else.

  
And now? She either believed Bog that she was wrong. Or She had lied to her father. Or this was all part of a bigger plan to work their way into the restricted areas of Blackwood’s forest. He wasn’t sure which one it was, but that last one was the one that stuck in his mind. He had ordered the goblins to watch the house from a distance. Their patrols weren’t really necessary. Bog and his family could take care of themselves. But goblins needed jobs or they were destructive. It’s the way they were. They would be hibernating soon and then Bog would have one less group of creatures to worry about.

  
Bog chose a few choice words to swear under his breath at himself and his thoughts. She was getting married. They didn’t even know each other. He was just concerned because he saw how Roland treated her. He would react that way with any man disrespecting and controlling a woman in his presence. He had ejected enough of those type of men out of his tavern and one woman. Never mind that he felt drawn in her direction when he saw her. It didn’t meant what it should have meant. It was all a lie. His heart was lying to him. Bog lifted a hand to rub his chest. It hurt.

  
Every now and then Bog wondered if there was something wrong with his heart. Then he reminded himself that would be impossible. He had never had any problems and it was very likely he never would. He was more likely to be killed by a King or some other hunter than give in to any kind of physical limitation. So far, he and his family were safe in their town. It was leaving town that put his kind in danger. That had been what had happened to his father. His uncles, his aunts, cousins… the whole family had gone from over 50 members to 2 in a weekend. They had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

  
Bog sniffed at the thought of that time. He had been left at home with his mother to take care of the tavern and town. He had been proud of being left in charge at 17, but not so proud when his father didn’t return from a trip to Scotland. He had been devastated. Stupid vampire war. Bog hated vampires. His entire family had rejected their lordship to strike out on their own. Then they were dragged into the middle of a conflict they had nothing to do with. Bog groaned and swung his feet to the ground.

  
Vampires. Vampires had ways of hiding their presence and their homes behind veils. Anyone coming up to these veils would become disoriented and turn away. That’s what he needed! But he was going to have to find a vampire who was good at alchemy and wouldn’t try to take over Blackwood. Or he could research the old books and see if he could find the verbal equation that would produce the veil effect.

“Bog?” Sunny was staring at him questioningly.

  
“If yer not watching the movie I’m done with it.” Bog shrugged and rose to his feet. He had to at least look. He also had to ask his mother about it. There had to be some reason there wasn’t a veil already in place. It could be as simple as his mother didn’t know how to do it. Every family had their strengths and weaknesses. They also had their own equations. Alchemy was a massive span of study and nobody knew it all. Bog was deep in his thoughts as he reached the door to the den and the front doorbell rang.

  
Bog froze. He wasn’t expecting anyone. Sunny was with him. Mother was in the tavern. If she needed anything she would call. Bog sighed and trudged across the house to get the door. The doorbells chimed repeatedly making him angrier with each step. It was a big house. Did they expect him to have a butler?

  
When Bog reached the door he was ready to take someone’s head off. He jerked both of the massive oak doors open as hard as he could while leaning forward and shouted, “Are ye FIVE?! Stop ringing the bell!”

  
He immediately regretted it.

  
Dawn giggled, biting her lower lip while she bounced in place. Marianne was right behind her and the look on her face immediately deflated Bog. She was fighting back a laugh and doing a bad job at it. Her cheeks were bright red and Bog could swear he could see tears welling in the corner of her eyes as she fought it. Being laughed at for being mad was a new thing.

  
“Oh. Ehm.” Bog stammered. He was trapped. He panicked. “SUNNY!”

  
“Coming!” Sunny crossed the house with amazing speed and squealed like a girl when he saw Dawn. She darted past a startled Bog and hugged Sunny.

  
“Uh.” Bog glanced from Sunny and Dawn to Marianne. “Come in?”

  
“Thank you.” Marianne accepted politely before walking inside. She was dressed in a t-shirt with a silly looking pink unicorn on it and purple shorts with a fringe of black lace around the hem. The look was so different from every other time he had seen her, but she was just with her sister. Bog glanced outside to see if their father was hiding somewhere. Satisfied he didn’t see him, he turned to see that Sunny and Dawn had vanished and he was left alone with Marianne. She was wiping her eyes as discretely as possible.

  
Bog face Marianne with awkward silence. What was he supposed to do now? He had not invited her, no, he had invited her inside so he couldn’t tell her to leave. Besides, Dawn was somewhere in the house with Sunny and he’d have to hunt her down as well.

  
“They’re just friends.” Bog mumbled.

  
“Dawn talks about Sunny all the time. I know they’re good friends.” Marianne smiled, then she looked down at the floor.

“Would ye like a drink?” Bog offered politely. “I have bottles of our locally produced Root Beer. I can vouch fer how good it is.”

  
“Sure.”

=-=-=-=-=--

Sunny and Dawn’s laughter rang through the house as Bog placed an opened bottle of root beer in front of Marianne. He stood at the end of the bar taking a quick drink of his own. Sunny and Dawn were in the game room. He could hear video game music.

  
“So, uh, why are ye here?” Bog didn’t look at Marianne. He couldn’t believe she was here. Not after what he had said.

  
“Just a quick stop on our way home. Dawn thought it would be fun to surprise Sunny with a visit.” Marianne explained staring at her bottle.

  
“Is that always how you answer the door?” Marianne still wasn’t looking at him, but she laughed as she said it.

  
Bog stared harder at the bottle. He’d give anything to be able to vanish into it and not have to attempt a real conversation. Especially not one centered on him.

  
“I’m sorry.” Marianne attempted. “She was so excited. I didn’t see any harm in it.”

“I’m not good at small talk.” Bog muttered. “If ye were looking fer good conversation, it’s not here.”

  
“So where are you hiding the werewolf?”

“What?” Bog tilted his head at Marianne and tried to feign as much surprise as possible.

“The werewolf. I want to see him and make him apologize for mauling me. You owe me that if you’re hiding him.” Marianne gestured to her shoulder and neck. Bog could see one of the jagged scars rising above the collar of her shirt and up the left side of her neck. He winced.

“There are no such things as werewolves.”

“And I can’t do this.” Marianne turned her right hand palm side up and whispered. A tiny ball of flame burst into it. It rolled around between her fingers as Marianne continued to talk. “Look. My father knows you have secrets so here’s the deal. I’ll show you mine if you’ll show me yours.”

Bog rolled his eyes. He could have pretended to be astonished by the fire, but he wasn’t in the mood.

“Nice magic trick. Can ye please collect yer sister and leave now?” Bog turned his back to Marianne and slammed his bottle down on the cabinet. “Leave us alone.” He hunched his shoulders and put his hands on the cabinet for support.

Marianne closed her hand on the flame ball and snuffed it out. She had hoped that would have been enough to make Bog talk. “What will it take to get you to tell me what’s going on, Bog?”

“We’re strangers. We do not know each other. I do not trust yer family. I do not trust ye.” Bog was terse. He wanted them to leave but he wasn’t going to throw them out. He couldn’t bring himself to touch her in any way. He knew he couldn’t.

Bog’s phone rang. It was sitting on the counter charging a few feet away. He grimaced and reached for it, glad of the distraction from his current conversation. Maybe it was mother. He could make an excuse. Bog swiped to accept the call before checking who was calling. “Laird residence.”

“I’ve called your number.” It was Marianne. “Can we get to know each other?”

Bog threw the phone so hard it bounced off the counter, hit the wall and then smacked into his full bottle of root beer sending it into a spin. Root beer went everywhere. Most of it ended up on Bog. He stood for a moment completely confused about what had just happened. He slowly turned to see Marianne looking at him in surprise with the phone still in her hand.

“Please. Leave.” Bog couldn’t leave her alone. She needed to go. 

“Can we be friends?” Marianne held out her hand. Bog stared at it. He had no idea what to do.

“Why can’t ye just go? Can’t ye see I don’t want ye here? I told ye to leave. Ye have yer good life. Go enjoy it and leave the rest of us alone.” Bog paced, grabbed a towel in passing and tried to soak up some of the root beer before it spread any further. “Tell Dawn to stop talking to Sunny. Don’t need her breaking his heart.”

“I can’t do that.” Marianne said quietly. “You don’t hear how happy Dawn is when she talks about Sunny. It’s not the same as when she’s talking about this or that other boy she thinks is cute. She is really his friend.” Bog grimaced. “She also tells me a lot about you.”

“If ye do not leave now, Sunny might suddenly be unreachable, because his phone is going to mysteriously go missing.” There. That was the leverage Bog needed.

“I’ll just tell Dawn you said that.” Marianne smiled. Bog glared back. What else did he have? “What can I do to convince you to trust me?”

“Absolutely nothing. I will never trust ye.” Bog leaned against the cabinet and glowered, refusing to say another word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last one until next week. :D 
> 
> My favorite parts of this are Bog answering the door and Marianne calling Bog on the phone in the same room he's in. :D :D Also every part of: Bog doesn't scare either Marianne or Dawn. They are completely immune to his prickliness.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog takes Marianne on a little forced tour of his forest.  


Marianne drank her root beer slowly. Bog leaned against the cabinet and folded his arms. He stared at the floor and kept muttering things under his breath. He was standing guard.

  
“Can you show me where I was attacked?”

  
“Why?”

  
“I want to see it.”

  
“There are no beasties out there for ye to see.”

  
“I will leave if you just take me to see it.” Marianne let Bog think it over. After a few more moments of silence, he sighed heavily.

  
“Fiiiine.” Bog motioned for her to follow him as he walked through the closest door that led to the back of the house. Marianne jumped to her feet and had to walk fast to keep up with Bog’s stride. Bog said nothing as he led Marianne out of the house and down into the yard. He entered the hedge maze and waited for her to join him.

  
Then Bog took her hand. Marianne was startled by the gesture but realized he didn’t want her to get lost in the maze. Here was a man who utterly detested her and he was holding her hand to keep her safe. Marianne worried her lower lip. Roland was the man she loved and he had left her in the maze and outside by herself.

  
The maze was small and Bog knew it well. In a few minutes, they were standing on the other side. Bog didn’t let her hand go and led her down the hedge to where she had been attacked. Marianne scanned the surrounding forest as they walked. If Bog wasn’t afraid of anything, then either there was nothing to be afraid of. Or whatever was out here wouldn’t attack Bog for other reasons.

  
“Here. This is the place.” Bog stopped and motioned to an area of the ground that still held deep gouges from some kind of claws. There was yellow crime scene tape around the trees. “Figured I wouldn’t remove the tape as a warning to anyone else trying to wander around back here.” Bog paused for a moment staring at the ground still holding her hand. Marianne knelt to run her fingers across the grooves in the ground. It had been months since the attack, but it hadn’t rained and the ground was soft.

  
“I don’t want people to get hurt, Marianne.”

  
Marianne had to pull Bog with her to touch the grooves. He knelt enough for her to reach and just let her do her investigating. The grooves were wrong. Whatever made them didn’t have paws like a wolf. They were large and round with shorter toes. There were no pad marks. Even if it had rained it would not have distorted a wolf print into this shape.

  
“These are goblin tracks.” Marianne decided after a few more minutes. “You don’t have werewolves? You have goblins?”

  
Bog winced. “Whatever is up here isn’t hurting anybody.” Marianne thought that was an odd way to react to her comment. Goblins were an awful nuisance. She had often heard her father talk about having to cull whole clans of them.

  
“My father could take care of that problem.” Marianne kept her eyes on Bog. He kept making faces of disgust. “Goblins destroy farmland and eat any animal they find.”

  
“We don’t have anything destroying our fields or attacking our herds.” Bog shrugged. “I think ye are mistaken. Come with me.” Bog turned, his hand still holding Marianne’s but waiting for her to choose to follow him or say no.” Marianne chose to go with him, stepping closer.

  
Bog began walking away from the house. It did make Marianne nervous. The forest was damp and dark. If he wanted to, Bog could make sure that nobody ever heard from her again. Of course, she would set him on fire first.

  
They walked for at least ten minutes, up over the low hill behind the house. The trees thinned and Marianne could see clear blue sky above her. There were birds here, singing and flying from tree to tree. There was also a little white gazebo set up a little further away with an amazing view of Blackwood below.

  
A small herd of fat deer rested near the gazebo. Bog didn’t approach them so they wouldn’t feel the need to move. Instead, he stood with Marianne and let her enjoy the view.

  
“It’s just a forest like any other forest, except we like it untouched by man.” Bog motioned the forest behind them where it got thick again. “Yes, there are bears out there and a wolf pack, coyotes, mountain lions and all kinds of beasties. Those tracks were from a bear.”

  
“I know what I saw.” Marianne persisted. She didn’t believe his excuses. He WAS hiding something.

  
“Marianne.” Bog turned and looked her directly in the eyes. “Ye need to drop this quest of yers. Do ye want to see innocent creatures suffer? Nothing in this forest is a danger to ye if ye follow the rules. Remember that is why ye were hurt.” Marianne looked into his eyes and could see that he was grasping for straws right now. She was pushing him and he was uncomfortable with it.

  
“Bog. I went into the hedge because Roland was taking pictures of your house and the back area.” Marianne admitted. “I was trying to stop him and I got lost and ended up in the woods.” Bog blinked. His face contorted, first to surprise, then anger, then sadness.

  
“I. I am so sorry.” Bog stammered squeezing Marianne’s hand lightly. Then he glared at her. “Why are ye marrying that idiot?”

  
“I love him.” Marianne stared at the ground as she answered. It was a bold question on Bog’s part and one nobody else had ever voiced to her. Marianne’s father thought Roland was a perfect match for her. Dawn didn’t have quite the same opinion. She was supportive. But she had complained to Marianne several times about Roland outright ignoring her. She repeatedly brought up how Roland had acted when she needed a ride to the hospital. “He loves me.”

  
Bog grunted and started walking again releasing her hand. “Did what I said I would. Now ye need to leave.”

  
“If I agree with you that it was a bear, will you leave Sunny alone about Dawn?”

  
“He’s a Laird. Dawn’s a King. Where do ye think that will go?” Bog had a point.

  
“They’re just friends.” Marianne rolled her eyes at him. He mimicked her.

  
“Oh, ye don’t know my wee brother.” Bog rumbled as he walked. “He’s totally smitten.”

  
“Smitten.” Marianne couldn’t help but giggle. “Who talks like that?”

  
“I do.” Bog hissed in offense. He trudged on with a grumpy air lingering around him. “Are ye done judging my vocabulary or would ye like to pick on my accent now?”

  
“I would never.” She thought he had a very nice light scottish accent. Marianne stumbled over the rough ground and fell forward. Bog caught her before she fell all the way. He was really fast for such a tall guy. Bog steadied her and took her hand again, this time walking slower.

  
“It was a bear that attacked me,” Marianne stated.

  
“And ye will not come back here asking to go into my forest.”

  
“That wasn’t part of the deal, Bog.”

  
“I don’t ever want to see ye again, Marianne. I am not a people person.” They had reached the opening in the hedge and Bog once again led her inside. He ignored the pain that began stabbing at his heart.

Finished this evening. Bog in his werewolf form - chapter will be added tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Backed it up a day. I was overeager and don't want to constantly be pushing other people's stories down. Endora is so much a better writer than I am. :D
> 
> Pretty sure he used this an excuse to hold her hand, her lovely warm delicate hand. :D
> 
> I am heavily editing these chapters for the alternate version which will be illustration heavy. I've even done a lot of conceptual art to try to get character's features down. I did Bog today and he was hard. Being a Lycean he heals fast unless he gets severely injured. He's never been in any kind of fight or accident to cause anything like that so he doesn't have ANY disfiguring scars. He does get stubble, but shaves frequently. :D Very thing with a big nose. Got it... it's kinda cute. Ok. He's far cuter than I want him to be but not in the standard sense of it. I realized that what makes him unattractive is simply that he is scowling all the time and has wrinkles from it that are a bit unnatural for his age because he is is expressive.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wedding day has arrived for Marianne and Roland!

Fall came and with it the light at the end of the tunnel for Marianne and Roland’s wedding. Friends and family were in town and gathering for the impending nuptials. Marianne and Dawn were getting ready to leave home. Marianne was wearing her wedding dress and Dawn was in her lavender bridesmaid dress. They had hours of prepping and hairdressing that needed to be done closer to the actual wedding site.

  
Marianne was so happy and excited that the day had finally arrived. She was glowing. Dawn was trying her best to hurry Marianne along. But she kept getting distracted and running around her room looking for this or that item to take with her. When she was finally ready, Marianne realized she needed to eat something. It would be hours before she would have an opportunity to eat again.

  
“I’m going to the kitchen to grab an apple.” Marianne started for the door.

  
“Oh no, you don’t!” Dawn squealed jumping ahead of her. “Not before I make sure that Roland has already left.” Dawn scolded Marianne and opened the door slowly. She peeked out into the hallway, then slipped outside. “Thanks, Sis.” Marianne giggled standing behind the door.

  
Dawn reappeared a few minutes later with a grin. “Found one of the maids in his room cleaning it. She said he left with the bridesmaids.” Dawn pushed the door further open for Marianne.

  
“Just let me eat an apple and I’ll be ready to go.” Marianne beamed at Dawn and hurried down the hallway.

  
“I’ll be there in a minute!” Dawn called back ducking into her own room across the hall.

  
Marianne bounced down the staircase and wandered into the kitchen. She snagged a shiny reddish-orange apple and bit into it. Then she left the kitchen and walked up a short flight of stairs to the adjoining family room. There were multiple family rooms, but this one was her favorite. It was beside the kitchen and had huge comfortable overstuffed couches. It offered a fantastic view of the front yard. Munching on the apple Marianne made her way to a comfortable window seat. It was covered in small colorful pillows that Marianne had collected over the years. She had spent many hours enjoying a good book and watching the world go by.

  
It was a beautiful Fall day. Marianne gazed out at the crisp blue sky. There were a few wispy white clouds in it, but otherwise, it was clear. The trees were beginning to drop their crimson and gold leaves. Marianne spotted several gardeners already hard at work raking them and bagging them. Then her eyes dropped to the driveway.

  
Roland’s massive SUV was still parked in the driveway. Was he still here? Marianne averted her eyes. It was bad luck for them to see each other before the wedding. Then something urged her to look again, just for a moment. She could see Roland on the other side of the SUV, facing it. She squinted, leaning right up against the glass. What was he doing?

  
Then she saw another person standing in front of him, with her back to the SUV. Marianne saw a hand run through Roland’s perfectly styled blond hair. He pushed it away, most likely worried it might mess it up. Then he took a step back and was kissing the woman on the mouth. He had his arms wrapped around her.

  
Marianne blinked. He thought he couldn’t be seen. The drive was circular with a hedge that blocked the view from the driveway. He had his SUV between himself and the front of the house. She stared in absolute shock. He was kissing another woman. It looked like one of the girls he had recommended to be a bridesmaid. She was wearing the wedding party’s lavender gown and Roland was all over her.

  
And in moments, two years of love and affection were gone. Marianne banged her head on the glass as tears flooded her eyes. Everything hurt, but most of all, there was a vise squeezing on her chest. On their wedding day? How low did a man have to be to cheat on his future wife hours before they were going to be married? This wasn’t a simple hug and a friendly kiss. He had his hands all over her and she was more than happily returning it. Marianne stumbled to her feet and fled through the house and back up the stairs to her room.

  
“Marianne?!” Dawn barely made it out of her sister’s way in the upper hallway. Marianne disappeared into her room, slamming the door behind her. Dawn glanced down the way she had come. There was no one there. Then she heard the sobbing wail come from Marianne’s room. Dawn cautiously pushed her door open. “Marianne? What’s wrong?”

  
“Dawn, I can’t,” she was sobbing so heavily that Dawn could barely make out the words. “Roland. Roland.” She couldn’t say it. “The wedding is off. Now please leave me alone, Dawn.” Marianne cried even harder, pressing her face into a pillow to try to muffle the sound. Dawn stood in the doorway a moment longer, completely baffled by her sister’s behavior. Whatever Roland had done must have been really bad. Dawn closed the door gently and left to call their father. If anyone could figure out what was wrong with Marianne, it would be him.

=-=-=-=-=--=-

Over an hour later, Lucas closed the door to Marianne’s room with a deep sigh. Dawn was standing outside waiting for him. “The wedding’s off.” He looked as baffled as Dawn felt.

  
“Did she tell you why?” Dawn fretted.

  
“No. I think we’re going to have to wait to hear the reason.” Lucas sighed again. He pulled his phone out and walked down the hall. He had a lot of phone calls to make.

=-=-=-=-=--=-

News of the canceled wedding spread fast. But it didn’t reach Roland until he was already at the wedding site. He was having his hair touched up for the millionth time. Lucas didn’t want to break the news to Roland over the phone. Roland was surprised to see his future Father-in-Law. He was even more surprised when he was told the wedding was postponed. That was the word Lucas chose to use. Postponed. Not canceled.

  
“Until when?” Roland was exasperated. The wedding had been scheduled for half an hour from now. Guests were here taking pictures and visiting with each other. The caterers were setting up in a tent not far from the site. The wedding cake had already arrived and been placed for all to see.

  
“I do not know.” Mr. King shrugged. “Marianne is very upset. What did you do?”

  
“What did I do?” Roland scrunched up his face in thought. He couldn’t think of anything. “I haven’t seen or spoken to Marianne in two days. I mean, I said goodnight to her. With the party yesterday, which I might add was very tame and keeping to tradition today, I didn’t do anything that should have upset Marianne.” Roland thought hard, going through a mental timeline. He had been discreet.

  
Marianne would not know anything about Rachel. There was no way. Roland scowled. No. There was a way. When he was leaving the house Rachel had missed the car taking the bridesmaids to the site. She had surprised Roland out in the open when he was leaving. Something about a quick make-out session in public where they could be caught had tempted Roland. He thought for sure that no one would see them. They were well concealed behind the SUV.

  
“I don’t understand.” Roland gave Lucas the saddest most pathetic look he could manage and it was a good one. “I love Marianne. If she wants to wait a little longer I’m OK with it, but I do love her and this doesn’t change my mind.”

  
Roland had a lot of work to do to repair this situation.

=-=-=-=-=--=-

Bog couldn’t help but smile. He was overseeing the catering setup when his mother came up to him with a worried look on her face. Then she told him the news. The wedding was off and they could pack their equipment and food up and leave. They were not expected to refund the money that they had been paid.

  
“What did he do?” Bog leaned in close to his mother.

  
“What did who do?” Zelda gave Bog a confused response.

  
“The groom. What did he do?

  
“Why do you think he did anything, Bog?”

  
“Because I know his type.” Bog grunted as he turned and looked at the field where people were gathered. He hoped he could get a look at that jerk Roland and see his response.

  
“We don’t know, Bog.” His mother shrugged. “What do we do with all the food?”

  
“There are people here who came a long way. Might as well give them a good taste of what we have to offer.” Bog took a step in the direction of the wedding field. “Get the rest of the tables set and start cooking now. I’ll let them know we are still serving lunch.”

  
“Ok.” Zelda nodded approvingly. She watched Bog walk away with a spring in his step. That was not how Bog normally walked. Zelda’s eyes widened as she saw him do what appeared to be a ‘Happy Dance’. Then he crossed the field in a run. What was that all about?

Sketch studies of Bog. Doing these improved my ability to draw more than anything.

Getting closer to the look I want. Needs to be considerably thinner in the waist and longer, but close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A door has opened for Bog! He would never try anything with a woman who was married or going to get married. However, that's not really on his mind. It's more that he did not like Roland and was sad to see Marianne on the path to marrying him. He's more happy that she's NOT going to be stuck with that jerk than there's an opening for him.
> 
> When I initially wrote this, I did NOT realize the significance of Marianne biting into an apple immediately before having her eyes opened. It was the safest fruit I thought she would choose that would be the least likely to cause any kind of mess on her wedding dress. Now that I realized that... what a great choice. The stereotypical fruit from the Tree of Life.
> 
> Added note: That From Joy note in the image is actually FROM DAWN. There will be an alternate story following the 5% rule to cover my butt on my own site that will include more finished illustrations and constantly gone over editing. The story as I'm posting it here has had one pass through Grammarly and Hemingway. I am going to purchase Grammarly's premium edition later this month to help improve my editing. Bog's name is the only name that I didn't change, since I had already changed Griselda's to Zelda just for simplicity sake. 
> 
> I really want to improve my writing! I'll try to remember I update this on Thursday so I don't go nuts by posting both this and Metamorphosis on Monday again and get all anxious to post SOMETHING new later in the week. :D


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marianne has a lot to think about following Roland's betrayal.

Marianne cried for days. The first day was the worst. She fell asleep face down in a pillow and woke up with her eyes burning hot. They were so swollen she could barely open them. Dawn brought her water and checked on her often. Her father checked in as well, but because Marianne wouldn’t tell him what happened he was at a complete loss. It was frustrating. He had no idea how to deal with this situation.

  
Roland had stopped by, but Lucas had wisely suggested that Marianne needed time. He advised Roland to keep his distance for a while. Roland had left a nice note and a gift. Marianne dumped them in the trash when her father delivered them.

  
Marianne’s heart was completely broken and she wasn’t able to move past it. She had trusted him and his professions of love.

  
They were all lies. So many lies. Every time he had said he loved her. It was a lie. Every time she had told him the same, she had meant it with all her heart. She had been so happy that someone loved her enough to want to spend their life with her and now - it was a lie.

  
Marianne took the time to go over all the little things that had bothered her about Roland. Now that she looked back on them, there were so many little things and comments. He controlled her. He nitpicked constantly about this or that thing she was doing wrong.

  
“Why are ye marrying that idiot?” Bog’s annoyed face and serious blue eyes popped into her thoughts several times. He was the only who had questioned their relationship and he didn’t even know them. A complete stranger had known she was making a mistake and because he was a stranger she had blown it off.

  
Even in their brief encounters, she had respect for how Bog dealt with things. He said what was on his mind without regard to what others thought. He had torn into her father many times. Her father told her how hard-headed and argumentative Bog was. He was direct to the point. But he had a weak spot and Marianne had seen it immediately. It wasn't so much a weak spot as a knowing that he would listen to her when she talked to him.

  
Men had to earn Bog's respect. Women were immediately respected for being women. Despite his outward scowling and grumbling, he was very sweet. He was downright old- fashioned.

  
Dawn had told her about the drive to the hospital. Bog had been very nice and polite to her and protective. She thought Roland was going to be beaten to a pulp when she had decided to take things into her own hands.

  
Marianne giggled a tiny bit at the thought of little Dawn kicking Roland in his precious jewels. She hadn’t thought it was funny at the time, but now it was hysterical because Marianne would like to do that to him as well. Many times.

  
Marianne stared up at the ceiling. Bog had the right idea. Treat people like people, but keep them at arm’s length and trust no one. You could still be friends with people when you wanted to, but that didn’t mean you trusted them. He had a good wall up and Marianne considered asking for pointers.

  
Too many people told Marianne what she wanted to hear and not the truth. They were all fake. Even her own family told her what she wanted to hear. She loved them to pieces, but why couldn’t they tell her the truth? Marianne was sure that even Dawn had kept back her real feelings about Roland to spare her. They meant well, but meaning well meant that Marianne was hurting more right now than she had ever hurt in her life.

  
She sighed and then made a decision. From this day forward, she wasn’t going to be sweet, reserved Marianne. No. She was done doing what everyone expected of her. She would not stay at home when her father assembled hunting parties. She was as capable as any other hunter, maybe more so when it came to her knowledge of alchemy. She had been studying her entire life. With a little more training she could be among the best. There was no reason for her to stand back anymore.

  
Dad would be upset, but she was tired of being expected to get married, have children and carry on the family line. Let Dawn do it. She was far better with boys than Marianne had ever been. She would get married and have adorable children with tan skin and blond hair. Marianne giggled at the thought and the look on her father’s face if Dawn actually ended up with Sunny Laird.

  
Yes. Marianne was done doing what other people wanted. She was going to pursue her own dream. She was going to get into Bogdan Laird’s forest seeking out the goblin that had attacked her and find the werewolf. She had to be ready for it. Goblins were tough and fierce fighters. Marianne would need to do it solo and convince Bog that it was all for the best. It had attacked her. It was a danger to everyone. It wasn’t some pet. It was going to get out and kill someone.

  
And as for this love thing. Marianne narrowed her eyes and scowled. Forget love. People talked about how great it was. Marianne had spent the entire time questioning it, worrying and being confused. Then she had her heart crushed in such a way that she never wanted to do it again. It was a waste of time. The pain far outweighed any joy she had felt and every time she thought of Roland she wanted to punch a wall. She needed to get over it, wall it away and concentrate on becoming the best hunter her father had ever seen.

  
Yes. She was going to do that. Marianne rolled onto her side and ran a hand across the scars on her shoulder. And she was going to kill that goblin with or without Bog’s consent. Then she began crying again because she immediately felt guilty at the thought.

  
Here she was upset at being betrayed. And what was she doing? Planning on breaking Bog’s rules to kill the goblin. It was the same as stabbing him in the back. He didn’t deserve it. She was going to have to think of a better way to get what she wanted.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joy has something for Bog!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The start of breaking down Bog that the Kings might not be so bad as well as introducing other random Arcadians that just MIGHT not be so bad. I've always liked the contrast of, the people we don't like are actually a lot like us and we think the same ways about each other.

The months flew by. Blackwood Tavern saw a massive increase in catering requests. Sugar’s Distillery was scheduled for a new addition to keep up with the demand for her concoctions. Winter was mild that year and Bog allowed new trails to be cut into the forest. It was good to add more variety to the hiking and camping experience. There was a lot to see in Blackwood forest, and it was full of life. Game hunters were allowed in a few sections as the seasons came and went.

  
A few Hunters from Rock Castle showed up in town trying to get permission to go into the northern forest. Bog was a little worried by their presence because a few of them were Arcadian Enforcers. The heavily built men in their pristine ivory tactical combat gear made everyone in Blackwood nervous.

  
Both Blackwood and Rock Castle followed the local laws and employed a small police force. The police were loyal to the towns and keeping their secrets. Blackwood’s police answered to Bog. Rock Castle’s police answered to Lucas King. On top of the local police force, there was a second layer of enforcement in Rock Castle. The Arcadian Enforcers. These people were trained to deal with Arcadians who broke the law. They wore armor that stood out for a reason. They weren’t afraid of anyone or anything.

  
Bog was terrified of the Arcadian Enforcers. He insisted on being the one who served them when they came to the tavern so he could talk to them. They didn’t seem that bad, but Bog was always glad to see them go. Their presence made him nervous. Bog made sure to treat them with respect while denying their requests. Usually that involved dinner on the house. He began to get the impression that they were only coming in to ask for a hunting pass so he would turn them down and give them massive steak dinners. It was a small price to pay to keep the peace.

Bog kept tabs on everything. Business dipped immediately after Marianne had been attacked. When the stuffed grizzly bear made its appearance, it increased. True to Bog’s word, it was curled up in a fetal position with its paws posed over its head. It sat in the lobby for a month then Bog had it delivered to the King residence. He liked to imagine that Marianne had named it Roland and kicked it every time she walked past it.

The day the bear arrived at the King’s house was eventful. The moment Lucas saw the massive creature and its immense paws, he compared them to the scars on Marianne. The paws were too big. This wasn’t what had attacked Marianne.

  
“Marianne.” Lucas stepped up to the bear and put one hand on one of the paws to gauge its size. His hand was dwarfed by it. “It’s an impressive animal, but I don’t think this is what attacked you, is it?”

  
“Maybe the taxidermist messed up and made it look bigger than it was in real life.” Marianne was quick with a reason. The last thing she wanted was for her father to believe there were goblins nearby. He would harass Bog if he knew. She felt like she should keep her father away from the situation for now.

=-=-=-=-=-=

Bog was having a good morning. It was spring, and spring started the influx of campers and hikers. Hikers were expected year-round, but Spring Break brought families of campers. Bog enjoyed watching the families far more than the couples. The kids were making memories in Blackwood, and they would come back with their own children.

  
It was one of the few things that made Bog misty-eyed. He watched the parents interacting with their children and how happy the kids were to be there. He bent over backward to make sure every kid had a good time, even the ones who walked around with a phone in their face. His favorite tactic was a photo contest. The prizes were pretty nice tablets with top of the line cameras. Most of the kids discovered they liked taking pictures.

  
Being a father would have been a great experience. It would almost be worth it to try again. Bog entertained the idea for a moment, then looked around the tavern. Couples and families were interacting all around him in ways that Bog couldn’t manage. The cute bantering between couples was annoying. He hated idle conversation. Bog didn’t have anything to say. Part of it was that while he could do business, personal interactions were baffling. There was too much room for errors. And what happened when Bog said the wrong thing? He had to think about it repeatedly, running over the conversation and what he should have said. Sometimes, he still didn’t know what he should have said. He could not figure them out. Those conversations would return and run through his head at random times.

  
Right now, his last conversation with Marianne repeated itself. Why had he told her he never wanted to see her again? He should have kept his mouth shut because if he had, he would at least get to see her on occasion. Her father came into the tavern once a week to eat a meal, which he always raved about. He met business partners and took up several tables. All who bought a lot of food, a lot of alcohol and TIPPED generously. He also brought Dawn.

  
Bog tolerated the bouncy teenager for his brother’s sake. And because he had promised not to interfere. Sunny followed her around like a lovesick puppy. She never seemed to notice the moonstruck look on his face. It irritated Bog when he would see her flirting with some other random boy. It usually lasted a few minutes and then she was moving on to the next one. It wasn’t serious, but it bothered Bog. Everything would be fixed if she concentrated on Sunny and ended up breaking his heart. He couldn’t wish that experience on his brother, but he wanted Dawn gone all the same.

  
Sunny had introduced Dawn to his friends, and when she came in town, he made sure he was free the entire time she was there. Sunny showed her all around town, and they had a good time. Dawn loved hiking and Sunny would take her out onto any new trail they’d marked to show her the local sights and wildlife. Bog had to remind him weekly to keep her out of the prohibited areas.

  
The doors to the tavern swung open, and Dawn bounced inside giggling. She was just ahead of her father. Lucas made his way to his favorite table on one side of the tavern that faced out into the woods. Dawn giggled her way up to a perplexed Bog with her hands behind her back.

  
“Good morning, Boggy!” Her face was as bright and happy as usual, but she wasn’t asking for Sunny.

  
“Bogdan.” Bog corrected her with a sigh. “Good morning, Dawn.”

  
“I brought something for you!” She produced a small cream-colored box wrapped with a black satin ribbon and held it out to Bog in both hands.

  
“Uh.” Bog stared at the present in complete bewilderment. “Why?” It wasn’t his birthday or any sort of holiday and Bog didn’t do gifts. He didn’t like any kind of fuss made over him.

  
“I saw it, and I thought of you!” She held the box, expecting Bog to take it, so he did. He couldn’t refuse it. He couldn’t be rude to Dawn.

  
Bog untied the ribbon as though fearful the whole package was going to explode the moment he opened it. He lifted the top of the box off and stared at what was inside. There was a sizeable fossilized shark tooth resting in a bed of white cotton. It was black with amber streaks. Copper wiring wrapped around the base of the tooth and was strung into a simple golden orange freshwater pearl. It was attached to a long black cord.

  
Dawn leaned against the bar, looking up at Bog’s shocked face. He stared at the gift, trying to sort through a swirl of strange feelings and how to respond. Dawn had given him a thoughtful gift for no reason at all.

  
“Do you like it?” Dawn inquired with a hopeful smile.

  
“It’s beautiful, Dawn.” Bog lifted the necklace from the box and let it dangle in front of his eyes. He didn’t wear any kind of jewelry. That kind of flashiness was not something he wanted, but this was a gift.

  
It was a gift for him and for no real reason. He ignored the fact that he didn’t like such things. Dawn had given it to him. He slipped the cord over his head, adjusted it, and then ran his fingers over the tooth.

  
“Thank you, Dawn.” Bog smiled awkwardly. He wasn’t sure what else to say. He ran his fingers over the tooth again. Thankfully it didn’t have any silver on it, or he would have had a lot of explaining to do.

  
“You’re welcome!” Dawn bounced up, kissed Bog on the cheek before he could protest. Then she vanished into the back hall to look for Sunny. Bog blushed at the gesture. Girls didn’t run up and kiss him. Most of them didn’t give him a second glance and stayed away. Not Dawn. She was such a nice girl. Bog smiled and went back to work. If only she weren’t a King. She was the perfect girl for Sunny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was added to Chapter 8:
> 
> It was midnight when Bog found himself alone and left to his thoughts. He had closed the tavern for the night and chose to walk home instead of taking the cart up with his mother. He needed the breathing room. Bog did consider a quick run through the woods. But instead of invigorating, it sounded more tiring than he wanted to deal with. He walked through the woods, taking the same path he had run earlier in the day.
> 
> He was going to have a drink when he got home. It wasn’t something he did often. Not after that awful Sugar had recommended that a stiff drink would loosen him up enough to talk to a girl he had a crush on. He had stumbled all over the girl while trying to profess his love for her. She had rejected him with the most hurtful words possible. She had been so angry. Every single word that Bog would have used to describe himself on his lowest days came out of her mouth. He was a tall, gangly freak of nature which should be digging in graveyards for a date and not attending school dances. He was ugly. Bog didn’t have a high opinion of himself, to begin with. 
> 
> Bog was 17. Sugar had been arrested for serving alcohol to a minor. Bog had let her sit in Blackwood’s private prison for a year and then assigned her to work at the distillery. She was not allowed to serve drinks without supervision. She had a talent for coming up with some fantastic concoctions, and Bog never had to speak with her. He let his mother keep her in check.
> 
> That encounter had been a turning point in his life in many ways. If that’s what people thought about him, then he might as well live up to it. He didn’t need them. They needed him. He took care of the town and its citizens but kept them all at arm’s length. He was Blackwood’s guardian. That was his role to play. He was the only one who could do it. He took consolation in the fact that they would miss him when he was gone.
> 
> From that day on, Bog also swore that he would never put himself in a situation where he wasn’t entirely in control again. That meant that he was careful about what he drank and how much. He never had a drink outside of his home.
> 
> After the long stressful day, Bog decided he could allow himself to relax with one hard root beer. Sugar always made sure there was a bottle or two sent in with the monthly crate of locally brewed root beer that was sent up to the house. She knew he didn’t drink often, but she included them anyway, and they were gone by the time the next shipment came in. It was an annoyingly thoughtful gift from an awful person. Bog had never understood if she was being nice or liked the thought that she gave him a temptation that he fell to every month. Most likely, the latter.
> 
> =-=-=-
> 
> Comments make me happy and make me eager to write for you!


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marianne's doing a little practicing in the King's training room, which involves quite a lot of explosions while her father attempts to talk sense to her.

“Dad. Please.” Marianne was standing in the testing room with an Alchemy workbook in one hand. She was trying to get the calculation right for a crystal sphere that contained a ball of fire. A pile of hand-sized spheres was at her feet. Most of them were empty. Some held ash, and others showed off little clouds of smoke. She was getting close.

  
“Marianne, you should really talk to Roland. He loves you.” Lucas was persistent. Roland was the only man who had ever shown any interest in Marianne, and he wanted them to get back together. Lucas did not understand why the wedding had been called off. Marianne refused to talk about it, and she would not see Roland.

  
“He does not.” Marianne created another sphere. A tiny tongue of fire lit it up. “He’s a jerk. Didn’t you listen to Dawn about what he did when I was fighting for my life?” The flame flickered out. Marianne sighed and dropped the ball with the others. “And it was his fault I got hurt in the first place. Just leave it alone, Dad. Let it go! Let it go!” She smiled and started singing. She uttered her phrase and was rewarded with another crystal ball. This one held a golden orange ice shard in the middle of it that looked like a lick of flame. Well, that’s what happened when you fed emotion into your equation.

  
“Marianne. Please. You need to get out of the house and meet other people.” Lucas persisted.

  
“No. I do not.” Marianne tilted her palm to allow the sphere to roll off her hand. It struck the floor and exploded in a blast of flame that knocked Marianne and her father to the floor. Marianne scrambled back to her feet as fast as she could with a manic grin on her face. Her father was slower and far less enthusiastic. “I’m going to have to practice that one! Wasn’t that awesome, Dad?”

  
“Marianne,” Lucas grunted as he got to his feet. He was going to be sore the next morning. “You’re on fire.” He sighed and gestured to a tiny lick of flame that was traveling up Marianne’s pant leg.

  
“Eep!” Marianne patted the fire out, then tugged at her pant leg to look at the damage. They were ruined. She should have been wearing something fireproof. She had been so eager to try out her new equation she had skipped that precaution.

  
“We are going to the Valentine’s Day Ball next week, and I would like you to attend.” Lucas tried to sound like it wasn’t a choice.  
“Why? So I can watch all the happy couples being obnoxiously cute? Please.” Marianne dismissed the suggestion as she held out her hand and formed another sphere. This one was empty.

  
“You can’t find someone if you aren’t out where they can find you.”

  
“Dad.” Marianne dropped the sphere. It thudded harmlessly at her feet and then bounced against another sphere. “Why don’t you take your own advice and find someone else to pester.” She regretted it the moment she said it. Her father looked at her sadly.

  
“I will never find anyone like your mother,” Lucas replied gently. “I have two beautiful daughters and have made my contribution to the bloodline. It’s your turn now.”

  
“Two. You have TWO daughters, which means that one of us doesn’t have to do anything. Dawn loves boys. I’m sure she’ll find someone amazing soon enough.” Marianne formed another sphere. This one had the frozen flame inside. She smiled, pleased with what she had created. This was what she loved, and she was good at it.

  
“I don’t like that you’ve given up on life, Marianne.”

  
“Pfft.” Marianne blew a stray lock of hair out of her eyes. “I’m having a good time, Dad.” She whipped her arm back and threw the globe as far as she could. It sailed through the air, hit the far wall, and exploded in an impressive bloom of fire. Marianne clapped at her accomplishment as the flames faded. “Next phase, make that flame stick to whatever I throw it at.” She was trying her best to deflect her father’s conversation, and it was making her nervous.

  
“Whatever happened with Roland; one mistake isn’t enough to end a two-year relationship.”

  
Marianne turned slowly to give her father a sad look. “Dad, he cheated on me. I saw him from the front living room. He was kissing one of the bridesmaids right before our wedding.” She stared at her father, waiting to see how he would respond.

  
“How can you be sure that’s what you saw? Did you confront him?”

  
“No. Dad. I was upset.” Why wasn’t he taking this as serious as she did? Marianne knew what she had seen. “Why can’t you believe me?” She sounded hurt.

  
Lucas couldn’t look at her and shifted his gaze to the floor. “It doesn’t fit everything I know about Roland.”

  
“Yeah, well, he’s good at hiding things. He strung me along for TWO years.” Marianne walked up to her father and wrapped her arms around him, leaning her head on his shoulder. “I’m happy. Please don’t mention his name in front of me again. I promise, if I meet a guy who isn’t garbage, then I’ll give that guy a chance. Until then, I want to be a hunter, and I want to go on your next mission.”

  
“Having two daughters doesn’t mean one of them is expendable.” Lucas hugged his daughter. “But I will let you join the hunt because it is what you want and you’re ready for it.” He pulled back to look Marianne in the eyes. “In exchange, you will go to the ball, and you will dress up.”

  
Marianne sighed and bit her lower lip in deep thought.

  
“Deal. I love you, Dad.” A couple of hours was worth a week actually on a job. She had done her time at the various parties and balls their family was expected to attend. She would sit and play with her phone like she did before Roland.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marianne here and in The House on the Corner can do the same things. I did not change Marianne and Bog's abilities.
> 
> The way that Alchemy works in my world (this was before Fulmetal Alchemist) is based on one sentence from Angel spoken by Illyria: It's just spoken equations. It's MATH, the universal language. Only, unlike math it has different outcomes based on bloodline, belief, and emotion. The same equation spoken by Marianne would end up with a completely different outcome spoken by Bog.
> 
> Creation is one of the shared abilities among all races to varying degrees.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog HATES Valentine's Day and here is why...

Bog barricaded himself in the family’s panic room. It was a sizeable fireproof room located in the basement. Everything the Laird family valued  was stored  there.

Several tall archival glass cabinets took up a third of the room. They  were packed  with ancient books, the Laird family treasure. There were comfortable benches set up around the room and a table. One wall had a large tv set up on it with eight camera views. The cameras showed the inside and outside of the house and the area around it. An emergency supply of food and supplies was beneath the flooring.

On the table, Bog had set up an expensive camera on a tripod over a white mat. The camera  was connected  to the laptop. Bog was taking photos of an ancient book titled Alchemy Equations For Beginners Volume 5. It had at least 500 pages in it. The massive book was bound in leather. The leaves were yellow and crumbling, but the writing was still legible.

Bog took archiving  seriously  and with care. He had marked lines on the mat to line the book up for recording. The pages fell flat due to a broken down binding.

Bog had been archiving books for weeks now. He only worked an hour or two at a time, but he was getting through them. His family had protected these books for generations. They were all that remained of the great city of Lycea. The Lairds left the city well before it  was destroyed , taking books with them. They guarded their treasure with their lives. At that time, there had been over a hundred members of the family.

Now there was only one. Bog was a direct descendant through his father. His mother was human. Sunny,  being adopted  , would only pass on the name. The thought hurt. Bog had a bloodline that needed to continue, but trying to get that done had been a dead end. And it was all because Bog was such a failure at attracting a woman. Why was he so bad at it? His father didn’t have any problems. He had fathered children in prior marriages and had three wives before meeting Zelda. That was another problem in itself. Divorce didn’t happen among Lyceans. Someone died, and more often than not, they  were killed by  a Hunter. No matter how careful they were. It happened.

Blackwood was the safest place for their kind. It had been set up that way; to provide a place for anyone who needed it to live among people like themselves. They could live without fear of  being found  out and killed. They had  unknowingly  founded their town at the same time as Rock Castle and shared a border. By the time they had discovered who their neighbors were, it was too late to do anything about it. They loved their new home. The Kings respected the border. The Lairds were paranoid and had made it clear there would be no trespassing. Both families kept to themselves well inside their boundaries.

Bog scanned more pages, trying to keep his mind off of what today was. February 14th was the worst day of the year. It wasn’t even because of all the couples. Today was the day he had stood in a tuxedo under a flowering arbor with a minister. Over a hundred people were in attendance to see him get married. That day was the day his intended, who he had never met before, took one look and ran away crying  hysterically . He would always remember that day.

It came back to him, and he swore under his breath, trying to concentrate on the equation on the book he was looking at. He had agreed to an arranged marriage after pressure from his mother and another family. The intention was to merge two strong bloodlines. Sometimes it happened once a Lycean reached a certain age and had not found their match. It was acceptable, even in the modern era, to get married for the sake of the bloodline. He had  been crushed by  the rejection.

He  was encouraged by  the bride’s family to sign the papers declaring their marriage valid. He  was given  an out to forgo the ceremony, but he couldn’t do it. If someone thought he was that awful, he couldn’t force them into a loveless marriage. It didn’t matter how much they told him that love would grow once they were together. All he could see was how much she loathed the sight of him.

The failed arranged marriage was why there were no weddings inside Blackwood. It was also why he was hiding out in the panic room all day. He didn’t hate weddings as a cultural necessity. He hated seeing what he couldn’t have. It was his day off to avoid seeing all the happy couples. There was a free dinner and dance tonight, along with festivities. He didn’t want to hear about it or see anything and left it all in his mother’s capable hands. He had left instructions that nobody was to bother him today. Bog had vital work to do anyway. His mother had told him that there was a veil up at one point in the past, but she didn’t know how to create one. Humans could learn alchemy, but it was never as strong as those who came from the old cities.

Bog had decided he would go in and digitize all the old books and research them after that conversation. He had learned a lot, but most of it he already knew. Alchemy  was spoken  equations. You had to believe in them, put your emotions into them, and say them  correctly  . The outcome depended on what you put into them, and they were personal. No two equations came out exactly the same from two different people. How they worked also depended on your bloodline abilities. With the Laird family, it was creation and healing. Bog’s presence alone made the land put forth more  abundantly . Blackwood’s herds were healthier than their neighbors. Diseases did not travel through the Laird holdings. Even the wildlife proliferated. The trees grew, and the plants flowered. Even the townspeople had healthier babies.

He could say an equation to ease a headache, and it would work  flawlessly . The same equation, spoken by someone without his abilities, would have different results. They could kill someone. An equation for a gust of wind in Bog’s mouth would likely cause the nearby plants to explode into flowers. It was annoying to make things grow as an ability. It was useful, but growing things didn’t protect his people from anything but hunger.

Lyceans were not combat-oriented, they were scientists, teachers, and healers, not warriors. They could shift into the form of a powerful animal but were at a disadvantage against Hunters. Arcadian bloodlines had far more offensive equations and abilities.

Bog checked the clock. It was only noon. He sighed, his stomach making a gurgling noise, and put the book down. Bog had skipped breakfast, and now lunch was calling. A quick trip up to the kitchen for a sandwich and a drink wouldn’t hurt. He needed a break from the scanning anyway. Sunny and their mother would be busy with the lunch rush so he would not run into them.

Bog wandered into the kitchen a few minutes later and made a beeline for the refrigerator. Bog began rummaging around, unaware that he was being watched. There was a large crate on the floor next to the butcher block kitchen island. A short, white-haired woman was sliding wine bottles in the wine cooler beneath the island. Realizing that Bog hadn’t seen her, she climbed up onto one of the bar stools. She sat where she would be in his line of sight when he took whatever it was he was after out of the refrigerator. She leaned forward and clasped her slender hands under her chin. She watched with a massive smile plastered on her pixie shaped face.

A moment later, Bog turned with his arms laden with cold cuts, cheese, and a massive jar of mayo. He dropped the entire load on the kitchen island. Without looking up, he began swearing. Bog didn’t want to visually confirm who was sitting in his kitchen.

“Let it out, Bog. Let it all out. Breeeathe!” The woman giggled, waving her hands in the air in front of Bog.

“What are ye doing in my kitchen, Sugar?” Bog raised his head and glared at the small woman.

“Your mom sent me up with the delivery boy to make sure everything  was put  away  properly . There’s a 200-year-old bottle of wine in the cooler.” She pointed down.

“Then ye can leave now.”

“I’m not done putting them away.”

“I’ll put them away.”

“Stocking is part of the service, Bog."

Bog stared at Sugar. She was smiling back at him.

“I brought you your favorite Root Beer!” Sugar announced  cheerily . “I’ve also thought of creating a line of root beer named after you. I call it, The Bog. It’s an earthy tasting root beer. Grounded and like a stick in the mud.”

Bog scowled and swung his hand out to point at the door. He didn’t need this right now.

“Ok, ok. I’m going!” Sugar laughed and bounced down the hallway. “ Just  put the crate outside, and I’ll have one of the delivery boys pick it up later!”

Bog didn’t move until he heard the front door open and close. His mother could have warned him that Sugar would be making a delivery. The very sight of Sugar always brought back those awful memories of the first girl he had loved. That girl was a woman now, and she still lived in Blackwood, but she never came to the tavern. Bog knew she detested him for what he had done.

He sighed and got a loaf of sourdough off the counter to begin making a sandwich worthy of drowning his sorrows in. He would also finish off a couple of bottles of root beer. Sugar made an excellent blend. It was too bad her face  was plastered  on the label. Not that his face would have been any better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sugar is awful.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marianne goes on her first official hunt to take care of some low level, yet dangerous, pests.

What had she gotten herself into? Marianne was in the middle of a large cemetery that had an infestation of ghouls. These things were nasty. She had  been partnered  up with a big guy with a gun known as Pyre and his more than capable wife, Jules. Her father trusted them to keep Marianne out of trouble on her first mission.

Jules specialty was earth alchemy. Pyre’s was fire. From Marianne’s understanding, he couldn’t use it with enough accuracy. He preferred a gun for more precise hunting.

There were far more ghouls in the cemetery than they had expected. The report had said there were 3 or 4. Instead, there were a dozen. They were fast,  vaguely  humanoid creatures. They were hideous, with great bulbous eyes set into white, almost featureless faces. Their mouths resembled a sucker fish’s, full of tiny teeth. Their skin was translucent white and stretched over their bony frames. They looked like skeletons that skittered around on all fours with incredible speed. Their hands  were tipped  with curving claws that  were covered  in a paralyzing venom.

Marianne whispered, filling her hands with marble-sized globes. Sticky bombs. They would slow the ghouls down so Pyre and Jules could shoot them. Fire would cause more problems than it would solve in this case. Every ghoul in the cemetery would converge on them if they sensed a source of heat.

Nearby a lone ghoul was moving on all fours hunting. It lifted its head in the direction of the trio of hunters catching a slight movement from one of them. It stalked forward low to the ground on its spindly limbs. The ghoul moved without fear, picking up speed.

“Freeze!” Jules shouted, seeing the creature reaching the tombstone where Marianne was hiding. Pyre immediately turned to look in the same direction as Jules. Marianne did as she  was told  and stopped moving.

The ghoul hissed and darted to one side, coming close to Marianne.  Fortunately  , it didn’t see her. The monster  was focused  on Pyre and Jules. It charged forward weaving from side to side  randomly  . Marianne threw the globes in her hand after it. She  was gratified  to see several hit their mark and explode with a wet sound. Sticky webs covered the ghoul’s legs and back. It screeched and tore at the webbing.

Jules was immediately on it with a sword. Marianne watched as she  deftly  wielded her weapon and severed the ghoul’s neck in one hit. There was a sickening crack, and the ghoul’s distressed cries ended immediately. The head hit the ground with a thump, and the body followed. Jules smiled and gave Marianne a thumbs up. Then a look of horror shaded both Jules and Pyre’s faces.

The two hunters motioned with their hands for Marianne to get down as they crouched where they stood. Jules  stealthily  joined Marianne. Pyre sought better cover behind a nearby statue big enough to hide his bulk.

Marianne didn’t dare speak as Jules peeked around the tombstone’s other side. Did the ghoul’s cries attract the other ghouls? Were they all converging on them? Marianne felt an overwhelming sensation of cold as fear set in. This was her first hunt. What was she doing here? She could have chosen to do anything that didn’t involve being in the direct line of attack. But she had to prove to her father she could handle herself.

“Mari, get on your stomach and follow me.” Jules whispered as she fell to her stomach and began crawling around the side of the tomb. “Be quiet. Do not be afraid. You have to see this.”

Marianne followed Jules and stopped when she did. What she saw, she would never forget. A woman was walking across the graveyard. She was the tallest woman Marianne had ever seen. She was wearing armor and had a mass of curly red hair spilling out from under her helmet. Her armor was gold and more ornamental than protective. In her hands, she held a long sword that  was covered  in ghoul ichor.

She was walking out in the open, and the ghouls were converging on her en masse. Jules placed her hand on Marianne’s shoulder. “She doesn’t need our help.” Marianne stared as the scene played out in front of her. Ghoul after ghoul ran in for the attack and was immediately cut down. Each took one hit to dispatch. Most  were beheaded  . Others  were cleaved  through the ribs or waist, immobilizing them. One  was taken  out by a strike through the shoulder down through the ribs. Then she stabbed the heads to make sure they were down  permanently . Every swing held tremendous strength behind it.

“Who is it?” Marianne could  barely  breathe. Who was this hunter? She had to be a well known one, but Marianne couldn’t recall any hunter that matched her description.

“Selcia.” Jules muttered. “ I think  she’s done.” Jules stood up after a careful look around. Marianne  was relieved  there were no more ghouls and joined Jules. Pyre jogged up behind them, his weapon lowered. “Keep behind me.” Jules glanced at Marianne, “And do NOT attack her.”

“Attack her? Why would I-” Marianne trailed off as Selcia turned to face them. She was holding her sword defensively and giving them a wary look.

“We were here for the ghouls, Selcia, not you.” Pyre’s voice boomed over Marianne’s shoulder.

Selcia nodded and smiled. When she did, Marianne gasped. She had fangs, and her eyes were the golden color of a vampire. “What I said.” Jules snapped at Marianne.

“That’s close enough.” Selcia lowered her sword but kept it drawn. “Were you here to clean up this mess?”

“Yes. We  were called  in. What are you doing here?” Jules took up the conversation.

“Taking care of ghouls for reasons.” Selcia shrugged. “Now that they’re dispatched, I will be leaving, if you don’t mind.”

“You did the job for us.” Jules waved a hand. “Who are we to stop you?”

“Exactly.” Selcia smiled again, showing off her fangs. She turned and walked off into the darkness.

“That one you leave alone.” Jules turned to Marianne.

“But she’s a vampire.” Marianne stared at Jules in confusion. “We kill vampires and all manner of supernatural creatures that threaten humanity.”

“Not that one.” Pyre leaned into Marianne’s face. “She has never given any hunter a reason to hunt her, and  truthfully , nobody wants to. You saw what she did to those ghouls.”

“But why? Why did she kill the ghouls?” Marianne tried to work through what she had seen. “I thought vampires made ghouls and controlled them.”

“They do.” Jules stepped forward to examine Selcia’s handiwork. “But like us, not all vampires have the same abilities. It’s likely someone else created them, and they are threatening someone loyal to Selcia. She wouldn’t admit to it because it might endanger them.”

“Oh.” Marianne nodded  slowly . “So you’re not going to hunt them?”

“ Absolutely  not.” Jules laughed. “I don’t want to be on Selcia’s bad side, and she’s pulled more than one idiot hunter’s butt out of a bad situation. You want that angel of death on your side.”

“Selcia doesn’t attack or kill humans, Marianne. Her followers are the same as she is.” Pyre began explaining. “As a hunter, you have discretion on who you hunt. I can’t in good conscious even think about hunting Selcia.” He turned red in the face. “That, and she’s gorgeous.”

“Pyre!” Jules snapped.

“I can’t help it.” Pyre shrugged. “Vampire or not, she’s hot.”

“Ugh, let’s clean up and get you on a plane back home, Marianne.” Jules rolled her eyes and gestured to the mess the vampire had left.

-=-=-=-=-

Marianne spent the rest of the night pondering the encounter. Letting a vampire go? Jules told her more about Selcia. She was wary of hunters for a good reason, despite her reputation. She  was considered  an unofficial patron saint of single mothers, widows, and orphans. She took care of them, and they were loyal to her.

There were even a few hunters that called her mother. She had raised them. That was how Pyre and Jules knew of her. They were friends with several of those hunters. It was also why she never  entirely  dropped her guard. She knew their ways. A few would give her a pass. Far more who would stop at nothing to kill her for being a vampire, a former ruler in Lycea.

It did not matter to them that she was selective about her prey or what she fed on. It did not matter that she did good for the sake of doing good and not for any gain. It did not matter that she was an honorable warrior who had never attacked a hunter who had not attacked her first.

She was evil.

She had to  be hunted  and destroyed.

Marianne wrestled with the whole idea of good Vampires. They were an abomination to all the founding cities. They drank blood, taking in the life force of whomever they killed. They did this in exchange for the power in the blood. They could claim the abilities of others through blood,  temporarily  or  permanently  . They were awful creatures who would often kill  indiscriminately .

They were the very creature that had killed her mother 15 years before. She had been 12, and Dawn had been 2. Vampires were the reason their father had forbidden them from becoming hunters. Mom had been an excellent hunter, but there were too many vampires.

Marianne had a lot to think about, but one thing was sure. She wasn’t ready for this hunter path. Marianne understood her father’s concerns, and now it bothered her. She would keep up her studies in alchemy, but she wasn’t going to request any more assignments. That would make her father happy, but it wasn’t for that reason that she wanted to step back.

Marianne had a lot of thinking to do. She  was conflicted by  the notion of GOOD vampires. Her family did not hunt those that were not a threat. Applying the word GOOD to a vampire was not anything she thought she would ever hear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, a conversation between two women that isn't about a man. :D I don't really CARE about that kind of thing, but I thought it was nice to have. 
> 
> Selcia is one of three known vampires who have reputations for being good people in general. The biggest issue with vampires is their need to feed to sustain their life force once they are dead. Feeding on others gives them more power. Feeding on a human gives them life. Feeding on a Lycean/Arcadian/Atlantean will transfer their abilities to them for a period of time equivalent to how much they consume. Draining to almost death or death will transfer those abilities permanently. Selcia most likely has a bunch of willing donors. The majority of vampires kill indiscriminately, because power is of course, intoxicating. This is why there are very few who resist this urge.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog gets a surprise visit and is asked out on a ... date?

Bog stared at the label plastered on the side of the new crate of root beer that had arrived. It featured some sort of stick looking fairy with dragonfly wings and a face that looked very much like his own. Bog furrowed his brow in something between annoyance and confusion. The label read: Blackwood Bog Rootbeer. Bog had taken a chilled bottle out of the case before realizing that it wasn’t the usual blend. True to Sugar’s word, it was earthy, smooth, and strong. It was delicious.

He loved it.

“Bog!” Sunny called from the kitchen. “Someone’s here to see you.”

“Coming.” Bog carried the bottle with him as he left the walk-in refrigerator. No need to let it go to waste. He lifted it to take another swig. Bog’s eyes widened, and he spewed root beer everywhere when he saw who was standing at the kitchen door.

It was Marianne. Bog groaned, looking down at his shirt, which was now soaked with root beer. Lovely. “Sunny!” Bog whirled around, looking for his brother. He spotted him standing on the other side of the pickup counter, staring at him with a startled look on his face. “Take her to a table and uh… bring her a root beer. Tell her I’ll be out in a few minutes!” Bog stormed back to the office to change his shirt.

-=-=-=-=- 

What was she doing here? Bog did his usual dance in the tiny office to get his shirt changed without knocking anything over. Their planned renovations for the tavern had a larger main office and a private office that was his. One that had ample room to move around in without hitting anything.

Bog managed to get a new shirt on and rushed out of the office, still buttoning it up. 

He collided with an unfortunate waitress carrying a tray full of dirty dishes. Both went down with Bog uttering a string of oaths that could  be heard all the way into the dining room. 

Bog was going to have to find another shirt.

-=-=-=-=- 

Marianne  was seated near the bar with Dawn bouncing  eagerly in the seat across from her. Sunny had brought them two bottles of Sugar’s Blackwood Bog. They looked up, hearing the commotion coming from the back of the tavern. Sunny winced and  gingerly placed the opened bottles in front of the girls.

Dawn grabbed hers and immediately took a drink. Marianne looked at the label first. She smirked at the weird figure on it and its uncanny resemblance to Bogdan Laird. It looked  suspiciously like the person who had designed it had done it in a way to irritate Bog. It wasn’t a flattering depiction. 

“Is everything okay, Sunny?” Marianne tipped the bottle and took a sip.

“I’ll go check on him!” Sunny turned away with a weird look on his face like he dreaded what he might find.

“Do you think he’ll say yes?” Dawn gestured at Marianne with her bottle, almost sloshing some of it out.

“I have no idea.” Marianne shrugged and let the flavors roll over her tongue. It actually reminded her of Bog, but that may have been because she was staring at the label.

-=-=-=-=- 

Sunny returned to the table with a piece of pie for each of them. The slices were hot and had a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream on top of them. “On the house.” Sunny grinned at the two, then stood there gazing at Dawn as she dug into her plate. “Bog’ll be out in a few minutes.”

Dawn ate like there was no tomorrow. She loved pie! Sunny loved watching her enjoy it. Marianne took her time so she could savor each bite. The pie from Blackwood Tavern was something she had loved since the first time she had tasted it. It brought back memories. The good memories outweighed the bad. Marianne shoved Roland’s comments into a mental lockbox and threw away the key. Bog had been kind to her while her fiance was a jerk. He had been polite about the whole thing. But it had been  entirely unnecessary to give them a whole pie and ice cream to go with it. Then there were the shakes. It was like he was trying to defy Roland without saying a single word.

-=-=-=-=- 

Marianne was on her last bite of pie and ice cream when Bog arrived at their table. He was wearing a shirt that had  just come out of the plastic bag they  were packed in. It was one of his shirts, but it was stiff and had lines where it had  been folded . Worse yet, Bog realized there was still a piece of cardboard under the collar. It was pushing the fabric against his neck and making him itch.

“Good morning, Ladies.” Bog greeted  politely , noticing that their father was nowhere to  be seen . What was Marianne doing here? “How can I help you?”

“Is there somewhere we can talk  privately ?” Marianne smiled at Bog. He immediately forgot what she said and looked at her  dumbly .

“Bogdan?” Sunny prodded him in the side after a moment of silence, then whispered. “The private dining rooms are both empty.”

“Oh, yes. Come with me.” Bog stepped aside, gesturing to the back of the tavern where they had two closed-off dining rooms. They were set up for private parties and would be as good a place as any to talk.

Dawn bounced in her seat and giggled as Marianne followed Bog. “This is so exciting!” She grinning at Sunny. “Hey, I have a question for YOU too!”

“ Really ? What is it?” Sunny leaned in  curiously .

-=-=-=-=-

“Er, uhm, what?” Bog fidgeted with his collar. He was trying to discard the piece of cardboard without  being seen doing it. He  was caught off guard by the question Marianne had asked.

“Would you go to the Midsummer Ball with me as my date?” Marianne repeated, looking down at the floor.

“D’date?” Bog fished out the cardboard and crumpled it in his hand. Had he heard her  correctly ?

“Not a serious date. I want my dad to leave me alone about finding someone to go out with.” Marianne looked up at Bog with pleading eyes. “He’s driving me crazy, and I don’t want to date anyone.”

“Oh.” Bog  was disheartened by her reason. “Ye don’t even know me. I’m too old for ye. I’m not yer type. I’m not into socializing. I wouldn’t know what to do. I dance like a grasshopper.” Bog rattled off a random list of reasons this was a bad idea.

“Exactly.” Marianne smiled. “And imagine the look on Roland’s face if he sees me walk in with you. He’s going to be there, and I don’t want him anywhere near me.”

“So yer being upfront that yer using me?” Bog ventured. He wasn’t actually against the idea. Seeing that jerk Roland’s face if he showed up with Marianne would be worth it.

“Yes,” Marianne admitted glancing away and biting her lower lip. 

“Okay.” Bog wasn’t able to close his mouth before he agreed. That little move with her lip got to him every time. She could ask him for anything right at that moment, and he would say yes. Something about being in her presence made him want to do whatever she wanted him to do. Bog realized how dangerous that was. He couldn’t trust her. Yes, she was pretty and seemed sincere, but she was still a King. It  was drilled down deep into Bog that he should not do this. 

“Great!” Marianne smiled. Bog was  utterly captivated and struggling to not show it. He took a step back. “I’ll send you an official invitation and pay for your suit. I’ll send a car to pick you up so you won’t have to waste any money on being my Roland buffer.”

“That’s unnecessary.” Bog waved off the offer. “I’m doing it because I want to, and I can drive myself.”

“Thank you, Bog. That’s so sweet of you.” Marianne’s smile seemed to grow, then she stepped forward. Bog tried to step back but found his back against the wall. He wasn’t sure what she was doing as she reached up and slid her fingertips against his neck. For a moment, he fought back the urge to make a panicked leap to the left into a pile of stacked chairs. His other option was to the right, into a table.

Marianne’s fingers slipped under the cord of the shark tooth necklace that Dawn had given him. She slid the cord through her fingers to pull the pendant out. Marianne let it drop against Bog’s chest, so it was laying out in the open against the shirt instead of beneath it. She ran her fingers over the tooth.

“It looks good on you. I helped Dawn pick it out.” Marianne took a step back, not realizing how nervous she was making Bog. 

Bog was speechless. This crazy girl didn’t seem to have any awareness about personal space. She  continually invaded it and could not see it. Usually, Bog’s  prickly exterior was enough of a shield that nobody would dream of getting too close to him. Let alone touch him. It was completely disarming that it didn’t work on her.

“Bog?” Marianne’s smile turned down a little as she looked up at Bog in concern. He wasn’t aware that he had turned his head and  was pressed up against the wall. His lip curled up like a frightened animal expecting to  be hit . 

“Sorry.” Bog  nervously danced to the door and fumbled with the knob. She was too close. Far too close. The door finally opened, and he held it for Marianne. “Ladies first.” He managed  weakly .

“Bog. You will show up?” Marianne hesitated in the doorway, looking up at him.

“I am a man of my word.” Bog felt his senses return to him now that he no longer felt trapped. “I will be there.”

“Thank you.” Marianne smiled again before turning to rejoin Dawn at the table.

Bog took a moment to gather himself, a hand traveling up to the shark tooth necklace. He ran his fingers over it in thought. Marianne had chosen it for him. It wasn’t  just a gift from Dawn. 

It was also a gift from Marianne.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments always appreciated! I know it's close to the holidays and such, but a few kind words go far. :D Especially since you can only Kudo once.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog realizes what he has accepted!

Marianne joined her sister, who was beaming. Dawn giggled uncontrollably. “Did he say yes?” Marianne nodded in response, mulling over the conversation. “So did Sunny!” Dawn grinned. “I thought it would help if Bog said no, but it’ll keep him from backing out at the last minute! I know how important this is to you!”

“Dad’s going to be thrilled.” Marianne grinned at her bouncy sister. Not one, but BOTH of the Laird men escorting Lucas King’s daughters would be enough to shut down her father. She hoped she would never hear him asking her about dating again. She wanted to be left alone with her studies.

Still, she thought back to the last few moments of her conversation. What did a man go through to react like that to nothing? She couldn’t figure out what she had done. Maybe he didn’t like her. That was fine. It wasn’t like it was a real date. Still, that brief frightened look on his face made her make a mental note to be careful not to corner him again. That was all that she could figure. She had him backed up against a wall. He had some sort of phobia?

Marianne’s eyes fell on the half-full bottle of root beer in front of her. She smiled and turned it to face her better so she could see the label. She was going to be sure to bring it with her when she left.

=-=-=-=-

The moment the King girls left, Zelda began badgering Bog about what he had been doing alone with the pretty girl in the back of the tavern. Bog had mumbled something unintelligible into the counter he was leaning against. He was sitting on a stool with his arms folded on the counter and his forehead resting on them. All he could see was the countertop. Then Zelda turned to Sunny, who was standing by the bar staring at the front of the tavern. He was in a daze with a goofy smile plastered on his face.

“Sunny?” His mother nudged him. “What’s going on?”

“Oh!” Sunny jumped. “Dawn invited me to some Midsummer Eve Ball in Castle Rock. Dawn INVITED me!” He looked like he might faint for a moment, and his mother put a hand on his shoulder to steady him.

“Big deal. Marianne invited me too.” Bog scowled, going over the conversation and mentally beating himself up. He should have said no! Now he had no choice but to do what he had promised he would. “I’m going so I can see how mad I can make that Roland idiot.”

“Roland?” Zelda looked away in thought.

“Marianne’s ex.”

Zelda looked from her tall sulky boy to the lovesick one in concern. Then her face broke out into a massive grin that made her eyes squint. “Both of my boys are going to a fancy dance??”

“I am NOT dancing.” Bog buried his head in his hands. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

“I am,” Sunny said dreamily, then a look of panic struck his face. “I don’t know how to dance! I don’t know how to dance! Mom!”

“We can fix that easy enough, Sunny. You have a whole month to learn.” Zelda patted his shoulder encouragingly.

“A month! I only have a month!” Sunny wobbled away into the back of the tavern.

Now that Marianne was gone, Bog had fallen into the realization of what he had promised. His hand inadvertently dropped to wrap around the shark tooth. That woman put some kind of spell on him. That had to be it. That was what the King family did. They could persuade you to believe anything they said. Some sort of charisma effect.

But then, if that were the case, Lucas would have attempted to use it on him to get what he wanted with the wedding. No. The King girls were weird, and apparently, some part of him wanted to go play with it. A foolish part of him that needed to have a better connection with his brain. They were too nice. They were up to something. They could be in league with Roland. This could all be some elaborate trap. Roland had been chased off quick enough by Bog’s lawyers after he threatened to sue. But the man did not seem like the type to accept defeat in any form.

“Dear?” Bog felt his mother’s hand rest on his back, rubbing lightly in an attempt to offer some comfort. He must have looked pathetic. Bog sat up, his hand still on the necklace. He was pulling on it so hard that the cord was taut. It was cutting into the back of his neck. “Bogdan, what is wrong with you? A beautiful woman asked you to be her knight in shining armor, and you look like you’re going to your own funeral.”

“Is that what she asked me?” Bog pulled a little harder.

“That’s what you said. Well, I read between the lines.” Zelda smiled at him.

“She did ask me to be a buffer between her and Roland and also to make her father stop asking her to find someone to date.” Bog admitted tightening his grip on the tooth. If he pulled a little harder, the cord would snap, and he could throw it away.

“And you agreed?” Zelda was trying to make him see things differently. “So you ARE her knight in shining armor coming to her rescue because she asked you to. Not because you’re getting anything out of it.”

“I get to see that moron’s face when I walk into that ball with Marianne on my arm.” A smile crept onto Bog’s face. “And the look on Lucas King’s face.” He chuckled and let the necklace go.

“And maybe you’ll get a girlfriend out of it.” Zelda piped up cheerfully. “By being you.”

“Mother.” Bog groaned, rolling his eyes. “Please stop. She is not interested in me in the least. Nobody is. Nobody will be. She’s just a weird girl who wants her dad to leave her alone about dating.” Bog turned to look his mother directly in the eyes. “Would ye like me to ask her to pretend to like me fer yer benefit?”

“Oh, absolutely!” Zelda gave Bog the same squinty smile she gave him every time she wanted to introduce him to a girl. “Be a dear and pretend to get married too. And pretend to make me a bunch of grandchildren!”

Bog groaned again. His mother could be so annoying.

“Why don’t you go to the bathroom and get cleaned up.” Zelda shoved a clean white napkin into Bog’s hands. “You’re bleeding on the prep counter.” Bog glanced down at the cloth and noticed the red smears. He glanced at his left hand and grumbled at the tiny slashes in his palm. That shark tooth was still sharp.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of the fake date arrives!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I uploaded two chapters today, just a note to read the prior one first!

Bog began looking forward to his ‘fake’ date more and more as each day brought it closer. Unlike a real date, there were no expectations. He  just had to be there, be polite, pretend to like Marianne, and put up with whatever antics she might try to pull. There had been a couple of phone calls in the interim. Marianne had called him, and he had  barely spoken during the first call. He had no idea how to carry on a conversation with a girl outside of work.

The second call had been more comfortable.  They had a discussion about what  was allowed and not allowed as they pretended to be a new couple on their first date . Marianne set the rules. Marianne did not expect any kissing or hugging, which was okay with Bog. That would have been stepping far outside his realm of comfort. It wasn’t necessary. She did want him to escort her inside arm in arm. She might hold his hand if he was okay with it. If he didn’t want to, he could let go or pull away without saying anything. She would not  be offended by the gesture.

Remember. This is for Marianne’s father and Roland’s benefit. They would never have to do this again. Those last words from Marianne, assuring him that this was not a real date, reminded him to  be detached .

Sunny was a complete and total loss the entire time. He  was put to work in the kitchen, washing dishes and cleaning tables for the time being. Zelda was an absolute nightmare. When the actual invitations arrived, she gushed about her two wonderful boys. She was going to frame the invites. She walked around, smiling, and humming.

The humming was the most annoying because it was an almost constant wedding march. She was driving Bog crazy. Why did she persist in tormenting him? He told her to stop, but then would do it quieter, and he could still hear it in passing.

-=-=-=-=-

Bog stressed over making sure everything was right. He had a black tuxedo but needed new shoes. He spent two days breaking in a gleaming, expensive pair of shoes. He had also taken it upon himself to have a corsage and boutonniere designed by the local flower shop. They had suggested a deep purple rose arrangement. It was simple but elegant. Bog had also arranged for a similar pink rose corsage for Dawn that Sunny was to give her. Bog put a lot of time into his fake date, something which didn’t go unnoticed by his mother. He had shaved three times during the day to make sure he would not have any stubble. Zelda thought it was a little bit of overkill.

The evening of the event, Zelda insisted on taking photographs of her boys. Lots of pictures. She lamented the fact that she wouldn’t get to take photos of the girls. Then she made both Bog and Sunny swear they would take pictures. Bog agreed so they could get out the door with ample time to get to the event. They had designated a time to meet Dawn and Marianne at their home. From there, they would be riding together from there to the ball. They would be eating dinner, then mingle with the guests. There would be dancing, music and a bonfire. Bog wasn’t sure what to expect. The Midsummer Eve Ball was another reason to throw a party that Rock Castle had plenty of. It was likely more lavish than the festivities celebrated in Blackwood.

The drive was quiet. Sunny sat in the back where Bog couldn’t see him. Bog assumed he was texting Dawn and didn’t want him being critical about it. Bog  was left to ponder his life choices and where things had gone so wrong.

-=-=-=-=-

Half an hour later, he pulled his Honda CR-V into the long driveway that led up to the King Mansion and panic set it. He passed two BMWs and an Escalade parked in a tiny parking lot set apart from the house behind a low hedge. The words trap kept ringing through his head as he pulled up in front of the house to park.

-=-=-=-=-

“They’re here!” Dawn squealed from the window in the living area. “Sunny is here!”

“Sunny? Sunny Laird?” Lucas shot a concerned look in Dawn’s direction. She had not said a word about actually going with anyone. Marianne had set it all up with a smile that it was going to be a surprise. Her father  was surprised .

“Bog’s driving!” Dawn added with glee.

“BOG?” Lucas shot Marianne an even more shocked look.

“I asked him if he would like to  accompany me to the Ball, and he actually said yes.” Marianne smiled,  sweetly at her father. One goal struck down.

“Bogdan Laird?” Lucas looked perplexed. “Why?”

“Why not?” Marianne swished her dress, smiling about the whole setup and her father’s reaction. “He’s a guy. He wasn’t doing anything else tonight and look at that, he’s even on time.” Her father stared at her, trying to figure out how to react to her decision. He couldn’t understand it. What could his daughter see in that man?

“If he makes you happy, then what else matters?” Lucas smiled and stated the last thing that Marianne expected. “Please keep an eye on your sister. Keep her out of trouble. I’ll be arriving shortly after you.”

“They’re waiting!” Dawn bounced toward the door.

“See you later, Dad!” Marianne grinned and grabbed a clear plastic box off the table by the door.

-=-=-=-=-

Bog and Sunny were getting out of the car to walk up to the door when Dawn and Marianne joined them. Sunny waved  shyly at Dawn. She was wearing a peach-colored chiffon evening dress that almost touched the ground. It had a split up the middle that went up to the middle of her thigh. The straps hugged her shoulders. There were delicate patterns in gold thread decorating the entire dress. Her hair had  been done up in a current style, and she had light makeup on.

Bog was trying to retrieve the corsage and boutonniere from the back seat when his attention  was drawn to Marianne, who had been walking behind her sister . Like her sister, she had a floor-length dress, but hers was far more elegant. It was a deep rich purple that caught the light and almost glowed.  It a modest cut over the neckline, revealing the top two jagged healed scars running parallel to the angle of the top . Sheer lace covered her shoulders and went down past her elbows. The lace  was decorated with glittering butterflies. Her hair looked like she hadn’t allowed anyone to touch it. She had dark eye shadow over her eyes, and her lips matched her dress. There was a tiny bit of glitter shining off her cheeks.

Marianne walked up to Bog and held out the small plastic box. “Here, I made this.” Bog blinked, taking a long moment to realize that he was being spoken to. 

“Oh?” He looked down and took the box. He wasn’t thinking as he popped it open. Inside was what was the ugliest boutonniere he had ever seen. He didn’t think he had an eye for such things, but this thing was hideous.

“I know. I know.” Marianne grimaced. “At least I got the colors right?” She smiled,  hopefully up at Bog.

“It’s… lovely.” Bog smiled. Marianne took it out of the box. Bog leaned forward to allow her to place it in his buttonhole. It was a simple purple flower with a green branch full of leaves beneath. It  was held together by  clearly seen green tape. Bog had to think fast. He had to give her the corsage, but he could not show her that he had brought a matching boutonniere to wear. It didn’t matter what he wore. He wasn’t there to win any fashion awards.

Bog smiled  politely when Marianne patted the lapel to make sure the boutonniere would not fall out . “I brought something for you too.” Bog walked past Sunny, who was showing Dawn the corsage and boutonniere he had brought. Bog retrieved the corsage for Marianne and presented it to her without a word. Marianne’s eyes widened in awe as she opened the box.

“Bog. You didn’t have to do this.” She whispered. It was a perfect purple rose in full bloom. There were a few small green leaves around it and a spray of tiny purple and white flowers. Purple lace was arranged professionally around it.

“I did.” Bog took the box from Marianne and removed the corsage. He tossed the box back into his car and kicked the door closed behind him.  Bog waited for Marianne to hold out her hand, then he slipped the elastic band over it, trying to touch her as little as possible .  He ended up placing his left hand under her left to make sure the corsage was  correctly positioned so that it was easy to see and wouldn’t be in her way . Bog had asked to  be shown how to put a corsage on when he picked it up. It was something he had never done before. Satisfied, he let go of her hand and  was startled when she curled her fingers down to continue the contact. She smiled as she held her hand up to look at the simple corsage. It was lovelier than anything Roland had ever given her. The corsages he had gifted her with had been gaudy extravagances.

“Uh… can we go to the ball now?” Dawn piped up from behind Marianne. She looked from Marianne to Bog as though they were up to something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy upcoming Thanksgiving! I am very greatful for deciding to join A03 this year and finding this group of people. Thank you! I hope you all have a good day tomorrow full of good food and no family drama.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fake date commences and it's beginning to feel a little more real than intended, especially when other people are looking at Bog and Marianne. Roland is not amused.

Marianne held her left hand crossed over her right so she could look at the corsage. She was sitting next to Bog, but neither of them could start a conversation with the other. Dawn and Sunny were laughing in the back seat about who knew what. Marianne couldn’t help but smile. It was a thoughtful gift from a man who  barely knew her. Yet, it was exactly what she liked. Why did he put that much effort into it? Marianne ventured a glance at Bog. He was staring at his hands as he fidgeted with his fingers. His brilliant blue eyes were deep in thought.

Then Marianne felt guilty. She had thought it would be okay to ask him to take her to Ball if he knew exactly why. This was not a date. There were no strings attached. He didn’t seem like the same person she thought he was. What was going on in his head right now? What if she had used a dumb excuse to get a guy who had no interest in her to go on a fake date so she could spend time with him? She had pinpointed his weakness and exploited it, and now what did she have?

She  desperately wanted to be friends with Bogdan Laird, that’s what, but he had rejected that offer outright . He didn’t trust her because she was a King. She didn’t trust him because he was a man, but at the same time, she admired him for being a real person. She knew where she stood with him, unlike everyone else who told her what she wanted to hear. And yet?

He said yes. Why? Had she manipulated him? The thought bothered her. She didn’t want to be that person. Fluttering eyelashes and cute pouty lips to get what you want wasn’t in Marianne’s wheelhouse. Smooth-talking charm was more of a Roland thing.

She went over what she had done. Marianne figured out that the tavern was neutral ground. Bog would talk to anyone in the tavern as a courtesy. He liked it when you ordered food. Then she wrinkled her forehead in deep thought. She hadn’t ordered anything. Sunny had come out with the root beer without taking their order or even speaking to them. Sunny might have done it to be nice, but he didn’t seem the type to think of anyone but Dawn when she was around. Bog was the one in charge, and Sunny had brought them out after talking to Bog.  It could have been a courtesy because they had to wait, but it felt unusual for someone who didn’t even like her and wanted her to leave him alone . Then there was the pie and ice cream, another thing they didn’t order.

The car pulled to a stop in front of the Ball venue. Everyone prepared to get out with Bog leaning back to Sunny and Dawn. “Ye two should get out first. Let’s get this farce going.” Sunny and Dawn were more than happy to get out.  The moment the door opened, Sunny jumped through the door and turned to offer a hand to his giggling co-conspirator .

“Please don’t get into any trouble, Dawn. Dad will kill me.”  Marianne waved at her sister, hoping that with Sunny there, she wouldn’t be bouncing from guy to guy the entire evening . She felt a little awkward about that whole deal.  Marianne knew that Dawn had asked Sunny to attend to help with Bog, but as much as Dawn adored Sunny, he was the one that was in love . She saw him as a good friend she enjoyed spending time with.

“Marianne?” Bog stood outside the SUV, now offering his hand to her. She took it. It made it easier to get out of the vehicle without snagging anything or worse, tripping and falling. When both her feet were on the ground, Bog offered her his left arm to walk with her. She looped her right arm around his and smiled despite her conflicted feelings.

“Here goes.” Bog smiled  politely back.  Bog escorted Marianne up the steps and into the massive building that  was decorated to a ridiculous degree .  There were tiny twinkling lights strung everywhere, and the halls  were packed with people in expensive suits and dresses talking and drinking .  Neither Marianne or Bog  were interested in mingling and made their way past a large indoor dance hall and into a massive courtyard . Half of it was set up for dining.  The other half  was decorated for mingling and picture taking with lots of little private nooks . 

Bog spotted Sunny and Dawn taking goofy pictures against a lovely backdrop of lights and colorful flowers . He led Marianne to it, letting his arms drop so that she could hold his hand if she chose. She did. “Ehm, Marianne.” Bog ventured in almost a shy voice. “My mom had a request if ye don’t mind.”

“Oh?” Marianne looked up to see the man’s face turning a bright shade of red.

“She wanted a picture if ye don’t mind?” Bog’s voice fell into a whisper of embarrassment. “Of ye and me. I understand if ye don’t want it taken. If ye don’t mind? Fer, my mother?”

“Oh, no! No!” Marianne laughed, pulling Bog toward Dawn and Sunny. “We’ll take a bunch of pictures! Isn’t that what we’re supposed to be doing?”

Bog  was flustered at first as Marianne asked Dawn and Sunny to take their picture. What followed was half an hour of Dawn and Sunny using Bog as a pose-able mannequin at various parts of the setup.  He would not pose  naturally with Marianne, he was so worried about doing something that would upset her . Dawn and Sunny would move his arms around Marianne and tell him to smile more. By the end, he had become more comfortable with the posing and that it was okay to actually touch his fake date.

Marianne thought the whole thing was sweet on his part. She didn’t mind taking the pictures at all. Taking pictures was fun. Marianne was wearing a beautiful dress, and nobody was pinching her butt or sides, telling her it was snug. She could enjoy it. And these pictures? She wanted copies of every single one of them so she could plaster them on her walls. They would serve as a reminder to her father to not mess with her dating or lack thereof.

There was also the little fact that she thought Bog looked good in his tux. He was clean-cut and more than presentable. She caught her father watching them on occasion from afar. He looked troubled despite his earlier words of support. Well, at least that part of her plan was working. She hadn’t spotted Roland yet, but he enjoyed being  fashionably late.

When they  were done taking photos Bog, Marianne, Sunny, and Dawn found their dining table. They had a few minutes before dinner was to  be served .  Their table  was situated near the entrance so they could see everyone coming into the courtyard in their best dress . Some of the gowns were outrageous, but all the men wore black tuxedos.

Marianne  was used to it.  Still, a look at Bog’s  continually changing face showed that he thought most of what was walking in front of him was ridiculous and unnecessary . Marianne understood. Her dress and Dawn’s dress cost a fraction of what some of the women walking in were wearing.  This was a place for men and women to show off their wealth, significant others, or attract an even wealthier significant other . It wasn’t always obvious which one of those things was going on. Marianne had never liked that aspect of Balls. Roland used them to show himself off, and she dreaded the spotlight he drew. With Bog, she could sit and enjoy his company.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Bog thought he was doing an excellent job of tolerating the overwhelming stuffiness of the Ball .  He felt like a deer staring in constant headlights as Sunny and Dawn helped him act like a normal person with a girlfriend . And not someone who had no idea how to act around a woman.  He had done the one thing his mother requested and was happy that would keep her busy and  hopefully satisfied for months . 

He kept his hands to himself. He feared that he was going to do something wrong.  Bog knew HOW to treat women in general, with reserve and politeness, but pretending to have a girlfriend was hard .  Years of avoiding any kind of affectionate contact had made it a difficult habit to break, and the thought of it made him anxious . A feeling he was trying to avoid showing.  Yes, there was his mother and his brother, and they were actually an affectionate family in private, but Marianne was an outsider .

Now it was time for dinner, and Bog was trying his best not to show his disappointment. The food was trendy experimental food. While it was a little interesting, it lacked any real substance as far as Bog  was concerned . Sunny and Dawn were playing with their food, which seemed to be the intention.  There were sudsy flavored bubbles, balloons full of air on a stick, fizzy drinks with little cups on the side full of small colored balls that changed the flavor depending on which one you used . One plate had the weirdest sandwich Bog had ever seen.  It was 3 inches square and six inches tall with a straw going through the middle into what looked like a little tub of mayonnaise .  Another was a bowl with creamy cold vanilla soup with chocolate balls that  were stuffed with random, costly contents .

Then came the plate with a massive amount of ordinary bitter or sour foods, berries, cheese, fruits, and vegetables . Marianne explained Flavor Tripping to Bog and handed him some of the ‘Miracle Berries’ to try it. He was skeptical but intrigued. The whole experience was a memorable one. Everything tasted wrong. Lemons were sweet, like lemonade. Jalapenos were not hot, and he washed it down with a tiny cup of vinegar that tasted like apple juice.

Bog ended up laughing as much as everyone else at the table. Marianne all but shoved a lime into his mouth at one point. And he swiped a slice of apple into horseradish for her to try. For a brief bit of time, Bog had a good time.

When dinner concluded, Sunny and Dawn left Bog and Marianne alone to go dance.  The dining area emptied of people as couples went into the surrounding garden to socialize or back inside to dance .  Waiters and waitresses came through and cleaned the tables, setting up candles and offering them more wine . Bog  politely declined, which surprised Marianne.

“It’s an excellent wine.” Marianne glanced at Bog. “If you’re worried about driving, I’m sure you and your brother can stay the night at our house.”

“No. It’s not that.” Bog turned away, not wanting to explain  precisely why he didn’t want any. He was in a public place. He couldn’t risk being an idiot. “I don’t believe it’s wise to drink in public.”

“Oh?” Marianne tipped her glass and smiled at Bog. “Why?”

“I won’t make a fool of myself.” Bog grumbled, making a face at Marianne.

“Oh, so you’re a clumsy drunk?” Marianne was teasing him, but he wasn’t finding it funny. Bog turned away and folded his arms. He hoped she would get the hint that he  was done with her.

She didn’t. She slid her hand up under Bog’s left arm and pulled herself against his arm. He began to panic. She had only had one glass of wine. What was she doing?  Obviously not something she would be doing if she hadn’t had any at all.  Marianne laid her head against Bog’s shoulder and pointed at a beautiful woman who was chatting with a good looking guy . 

“She has so much botox she can’t do anything but smile.” Marianne giggled, whispering to Bog.

“Heh.” Bog noted that Marianne was right. It wasn’t an attractive look. The woman’s lips  were turned up  abnormally and puffy.

“And that guy got butt implants.” 

“What?” Bog looked down at Marianne in horror.  Surely she was joking. “People DO that?”

“Rich people do.” Marianne took another sip of her drink. “They’ll replace anything that doesn’t look perfect.”

“Oh.  I always thought that was something we commoners thought rich people did with all their money .”  Bog looked back out at the people walking past, wondering what parts were artificial and which ones were real .

“No. It’s true around here.” Marianne sighed and snuggled up against Bog’s arm. He was comfortable to lean against. Bog wasn’t sure if he should redirect her to keeping her hands to herself or not. He had to admit that he liked the attention, even if there was nothing real behind it. Other couples were sitting  similarly . “People are so fake.” She made a grunting noise.

“Yeah.” Bog mumbled in agreement. “Fake people with their fake love. Notice how they like to show off how in love they are like they’re trying to prove it to themselves.” Weren’t they currently on a fake date?

“Roland did that.” Marianne sighed. “Everything he did was fake.” Bog was silent for a moment. Marianne seemed to be a smart young woman. He was dying to ask her why she had bothered with him again. “He was more in love with himself than he ever was with me.”

“Oh.” Bog nodded and shoved his questions back.  Just let her talk if she wanted to. He would listen to anything she had to say. But she didn’t say anything else. They sat and enjoyed each other’s company. Bog was in no hurry to move, and neither was Marianne.  Soft romantic music drifted through the courtyard, blocking out the more vibrant music coming from inside .

“If ye would like to see real people, Blackwood’s full of them for Independence Day.” Bog began talking, and his mouth ran while his brain shrieked at him to stop. “Ye should join us. I know it’s short notice, and I understand if ye have other plans.” The words flew out of his mouth, and he felt Marianne’s grip tighten.

“What do we have here?” Bog’s mood crashed as he heard a chair move, and he looked up to see Roland inviting himself to their table. He  was dressed in a white tuxedo and was now sitting on the other side of Marianne. “Aren’t you afraid you’ll catch some kind of backwoods disease, Buttercup?”

“Go away, Roland.” Marianne hissed at him, letting go of Bog’s arm to face him. “I am here with Bogdan.”

“I see that, but why? That’s disgusting, interesting, but disgusting.” Roland ran a hand through his perfect hair and smiled at Marianne. “Now that I’m here, you can dump him, and we can go dance or at least talk. You haven’t let me talk to you at all and explain.”

It wasn’t working. Marianne was so furious that Bog could feel the heat coming off of her. “No, Roland. I will not talk to you about anything. I am here with Bog, not you, and I am not going to  just walk away from him. I don’t do things like that. I pick a guy, and I stay with them.” Bog would have clapped if he thought it wouldn’t ruin the mood.

“Honey, please.” Roland reached out to touch Marianne’s face. Bog  barely had enough restraint to keep from leaning over and pushing him away. Marianne cringed back into Bog and slapped Roland’s hand away. “It wasn’t what you thought. I promise. Talk to me.”

“She said no.” Bog rose to his feet, placing his hands on the back of Marianne’s chair in support. 

“Stay out of this.” Roland’s face changed as he focused on Bog. “Someday, I’ll deal with you, whatever you are. I figure something I’ll  be paid well for when I turn in your head.” Bog’s face drained of blood. Was he threatening him? Here? In public?

“Roland!”  Marianne rose to her feet and pushed Roland’s chair hard enough that he had to scramble to his feet or  be knocked over with it . “You can’t say things like that when you don’t get what you want. Leave Bog out of this. This is between you and me.”

“He’s your date, so he’s between you and me.” Roland pointed out with a smile as he backed away from Marianne. He looked back up at Bog. “Are you going to let a woman fight your battle?”

“Different troops are suitable for different battles,” snorted Bog. “I have confidence that Marianne can handle ye without my help.”

“Leave, Roland.”  Marianne gestured to the entrance to the courtyard, emboldened by Bog’s words and his presence looming behind her . She couldn’t help but feel he  truly had her back if Roland tried to do anything to her.

“Oh, so you are a coward?” Roland threw more words at Bog, digging for a trigger. “Marianne,  just give me two minutes.” Marianne pushed him with both hands on his chest. He staggered back and almost fell into another table. “Buttercup, Honey bear, listen to me.”  Marianne hesitated, standing in front of Roland, glaring at him, and then Bog realized what Roland was doing . He felt the push on his will in the brief moment when Roland glanced at him then back to Marianne.

Bog barged between Marianne and Roland, turning his back to Roland. He placed his hands on Marianne’s shoulders,  entirely blocking her from looking at Roland. She lifted her hands and gripped the front of Bog’s suit, then leaned her head into his chest.

“Leave her alone, Roland.” Bog growled. He took a step forward, pushing Marianne back. “I will not allow ye to manipulate Marianne in my presence.”

Roland scowled at Bog’s back. If he had a few more minutes with Marianne, he would have had her walking out arm in arm with him.

“You can’t be with her at all times.” Roland took a step back, his voice taking on a dangerous tone.

“No, I can’t, but I can tell her how to stop what yer trying to do so she will never fall for it again. She isn’t yers.” Bog’s voice lowered further. Having his back to the man was dangerous, but Bog knew what kind of man he was. He was a coward. “Marianne.” Bog ran a hand through her hair to get her attention and make her look up.

“Ye know Roland can manipulate people, and if ye know it, he can’t do it without touching ye. He has no right to tell ye what to do. Ye do what ye want to do, Princess. Nobody can tell ye what to do with yer life, but ye. Do not let him touch ye.” Bog spoke  seriously , then stepped aside.

Marianne’s eyes blazed as she advanced on Roland with renewed resolve. The look in her eyes made Roland scramble backward. “I don’t ever want to see you again, Roland! I am not yours. I will never marry you! I do not want you.” And then Roland fell back into a large fountain. Marianne laughed at him for a full minute, as did a few other couples who had turned to watched the drama.

Bog smiled. He had done everything he promised and more, hadn’t he? He felt good about it. He felt even better when Marianne came back to him and slid her hand into his. “Come on, Bog, let’s go watch Sunny and Dawn dance!  Maybe we can dance?”

“Eh, don’t know about that.” Bog was almost dragged out of the courtyard by Marianne’s enthusiasm.

Roland grumbled a few oaths under his breath as he stepped out of the fountain. Bogdan Laird was going to regret crossing him. He was going to make sure of it, then he would get Marianne back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am jealous of them getting to do things I've never done. Well, except the dealing with Roland thing. I thought it was appropriate to give Roland an ability that is based on charm and manipulating people. :D Unfortunately, he has quite a few abilities and oh wow, does he end up even creepier with that ability later on.  
Also, I can just see Bog in my mind being moved around like a stiff mannequin, completely out of his element for those pictures.  
I like portraying Bog as someone who is wealthy, but has been raised in such a way that he considers himself common and acts that way as well.   
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I transferred some of it from the next chapter and will try to make the chapters larger where I can. Minimally edited, since it will eventually be printed and I have severe editing to do in that case.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The evening is coming to a close, Bog and Marianne have a lot to think about.

The spent the rest of the evening in the dance hall. Marianne got Bog up to dance for one number. Bog wasn’t great, but that was fine because Marianne was awful. She stepped on his feet  repeatedly , and finally, Bog declared to her that she had won. He surrendered and retreated to a dark corner of the hall where he could rest his eyes.

Marianne danced  badly , for a while longer. She looked like she was enjoying herself, and Bog was happy for her. As far as he knew, the entire night had been a success, and she wouldn’t need him for anything else. Bog frowned and forced his gaze to the floor in front of him. 

This was not real. It had all been pretend, and it would end in another hour or two. Marianne didn’t need to bother with him for the rest of the evening. He would pull her aside when he had a chance and tell her she needed to avoid all contact with Roland. His charm was more than an act. It made people trust him, and all he needed to do was touch Marianne to get her back under his control. Bog didn’t want that to ever happen. She deserved a good man in her life, not someone who controlled her.

Then the sharp pain hit Bog again in the chest. It hurt more than it had before. Bog winced and rubbed over his heart for a moment, willing it to stop. He still couldn’t figure out why it kept hitting him like it did. This wasn’t normal for a Lycean, and the off and on pain was confusing.  For a moment, Bog considered spilling everything out to Marianne and then begging for mercy . It would be worth it in one way. He would get it over with. He wouldn’t keep torturing himself with a thin glimmer of hope. Fighting his Lycean nature was not something he was going to win. That was becoming clear. He could argue against it and deny it, but it  clearly wanted him to be with Marianne.

But if he did that, he would put his family and all the other families and creatures in Blackwood in certain danger. Bog lifted his eyes to see Marianne slip and almost fall on her butt. He smiled, seeing her recover and laugh at her misstep. That’s what he liked about Marianne. She was so different and out of step with everyone else, but she didn’t care.

His other option was to continue playing this game. As long as Sunny was friends with Dawn, Marianne was likely to show up for whatever reason. She had asked to be friends, and Bog told her to leave. She wanted to go play around in his forest. Bog frowned. She is a King, and she can not  be trusted . She will kill you if she finds out what you are. 

Bog gripped his head in his hands, going back and forth with what he should do, what he kept doing, and what he was going to do. There was one absolute solution, and that was ending contact altogether. To do that, he needed to convince Sunny to end his friendship with Dawn. So far, he had not won that battle. It had been months, and what Bog assumed would wear off on its own seemed to intensify. Sunny was so in love with Dawn, there were times he thought of nothing else, and Dawn considered him only a friend.

“Bog?” Marianne put her hand on his shoulder, taking the chair next to him. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh. I’m  just tired.” Bog mumbled. “Socializing is exhausting.” What was she doing? Weren’t they done pretending? She didn’t have to touch him.

“Yeah, it does get tiring.” Marianne leaned her head against Bog’s shoulder, and he felt panic rising again. 

“Are we done?”

“Are you done?” Marianne looked away, worrying her lower lip in thought.

“I am done.” Bog groaned  exaggeratedly . “I’ll return to my stick house and have nightmares about fake butts.” Marianne tried to stifle a giggle.

“Was some of it fun?” She asked after the gigging passed.

“Seeing you take down that jerk was fun.” Bog admitted. Then he looked Marianne  directly in the eye with all seriousness. “Ye can not be alone with that man. Ever. Do not let him touch you or look him in the eye, or talk to ye. Ye know what he does, but it’s hard to fight it, so ye shouldn’t put yerself in the situation.”

“I see.” Marianne looked back  curiously . “Why doesn’t he affect you? I know he has some pull over my dad.”

“When yer nature is to be wary and distrustful of strangers, it tends to have a damper on charismatic bloodlines .” Bog regretted how he said it immediately.

“Wait, you  just admitted something.” Marianne perked up, staring at Bog. “You. Know.”

“I know nothing.” Bog looked away. “I wanted to offer ye advice.”

“No. You know how it works. So what all do YOU know. I told you that if you show me, I’ll show you. Well, I already showed you one thing.”

“I do not want to know.” Bog went cold. “I know all about ye I need to know and yer prying again. I can not have that.”

Marianne thought about how Bog danced around the question. She knew where this would go if she kept going. Was it important when it would to lead to him telling her to leave him alone? She didn’t want to hear that from him again. Then it dawned on her that she was threatening him. She hadn’t meant to, but she was.

“I’m sorry. I will not ask again.” Marianne tried to lean on Bog, but this time he shrugged her away, done. The gesture actually hurt. It was a clear rejection after they had been laughing and enjoying their evening. She had gone too far again. “Bog. I know I overstepped.”

“Ye did.” Bog looked back at her with a frown. His eyes looked as hurt as she felt. “Why do ye have to do that? Why can’t ye leave well enough alone?”

“I like to know things.” Marianne shrugged.

“Yeah. Yer  insufferably nosy.” Bog sighed. “I can never trust ye.”

“I’m fine with that.” Marianne smiled. “Besides, you don’t trust anyone. Do you? And you still interact with them.”

“Better that way.” Bog turned away from her and began fidgeting with his hands, his gaze focused on the floor. She had a point. He didn’t trust anyone, yet he surrounded himself with people daily. He even liked most of them. He  just didn’t trust them. Marianne slid her arms around Bog’s left arm again and hugged his arm.

“Thank you for tonight, Bog. Thank you for everything.” She whispered  appreciatively . “I’m sorry I ruined it for you.” Marianne withdrew and turned away to give Bog his space.

There was a moment of silence, then Bog spoke without looking at Marianne. “So are ye going to come to Blackwood for Independence Day? Dawn  is invited too. I’ll show ye around town. Festivities start with breakfast and end with fireworks.”

Marianne was so stunned she almost couldn’t find her voice.

“It’s not a fake invitation. Like I said, I understand if yer busy.” He still wouldn’t look at her. “It’s not a date.”

“I’ll be there.” Marianne accepted with a smile.

“And, Marianne.” Bog turned and stated in complete seriousness. “Don’t change who ye are  just because it annoys me. I don’t like fake people any more than ye do.” Then he choked the final words out. “I enjoy yer company.”

Marianne smiled in response and chose not to say anything. Instead, she leaned against Bog’s shoulder again. She said enough tonight, and opening her mouth might get her into more trouble than it was worth. The night had been fun, and she felt good about everything. There was no need to ruin it.

She almost had by probing for Bog’s secrets. Whatever it was, she had a feeling it wasn’t as serious as Bog thought it was, but if he wouldn’t talk about it, she couldn’t decide.  There were plenty of creatures in the world that yes, her family would hunt, but the ones that didn’t trouble anyone weren’t on that list .

-=-=-=-=-

Lucas stood in the doorway to the dance hall for a few minutes. First watching his youngest daughter dancing with Sunny Laird.  That wasn’t too bad, other than as far as he knew the boy didn’t have any kind of future aspirations and would rather wander around in the wilds than have a real job .

No.  The more significant concern was Bogdan Laird and the fact that Marianne was cuddling up to him in the back corner of the hall . Lucas observed how Bog looked at her, and he didn’t like it.  If the man who was gazing at his daughter had looked the same and had a different name, he would not have thought twice about it, but he was a Laird .

Lucas wanted their families to be on friendlier terms because he never understood why the Lairds were the way they were  concerning the Kings . There had never been any problems between them. The Kings respected their boundaries, and so did the Lairds.  The entire family put up an unexplained wall the moment they met and threw out the typical talk that the Kings were hunters .

Initially , it  was thought that they wanted to protect the game in their forest for their own people. Now. Lucas wasn’t convinced it was that simple. If this went further, he would have to corner Bogdan Laird and have a long conversation with him. 

Rumors said there were nasty things in the northern Blackwood forest. Anything from trolls to goblins to werewolves and dragons. Nobody had any proof, and whatever was in the woods never troubled anyone in Rock Castle. Lucas assumed it was all rumors with no truth to them.

Rumors or not, the Laird family had something amazing and dangerous in there that allowed them to control every creature in the forest . If the woods were full of Familiarsis Feralis, it would be a fantastic find. If a Mother, a Creatrix was in there, that would explain it all. Lucas considered the possibilities. If there was such a thing in there and it ever became known, the Lairds would not be able to stop those who sought one.

Having a creature that could spawn new species of Familiarsis was a rarity. It was also something that could not  be hidden forever. The more Lucas thought about it, the more likely it seemed. He needed to open his hand to the Lairds and hope they would open up as well. It was a long shot. Lucas looked back into the hall before leaving. It did not matter who his daughter loved as long as she was happy. But for the safety of both of their families, secrets needed to  be told , even if they were dangerous ones.

-=-=-=-=-

“Sir!” Lucas turned to see Roland coming down the hall in a damp white tuxedo.

“Roland.” Lucas acknowledged him with a nod of his head, still deep in thought in concerns to Bog.

“I wanted to talk to you about Marianne and that awful man, Bogdan Laird.” Roland leaned in, whispering.

“I am aware of Bogdan, Roland.” Lucas nodded.

“He’s a  truly awful man.” Roland sighed  dramatically . “ I feel so bad for Marianne. I don’t understand what she sees in him. You know, it was  probably him that hurt her that day. He was the first one there, wasn’t he?”

Lucas frowned but listened. Something told him that he shouldn’t listen to Roland, but he did anyway. With each word, he began to believe what the young Hunter said.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How do you end a fake date? What is Roland doing in Marianne's house? Bog has finally stopped denying a certain truth about his attraction to Marianne, now what?

An hour later, Bog, Sunny, Dawn, and Marianne disembarked from the SUV in front of the King Mansion. Sunny got a hug from Dawn good night and a promise to call in the morning. Funny. Bog was sure they would be texting the entire drive back to Blackwood. He stood  dumbly in front of Marianne. Dawn darted up the steps to home, and Sunny crawled into the back seat of the car with a groan. 

Marianne smiled up at him as he looked down at her  helplessly . He wasn’t sure what  was expected of him. “Er, uh, how do ye end a fake date, Marianne?” He smiled back,  awkwardly .

“Well, since it’s our first fake date,  I think a hug and a kiss on the cheek is fine.”

“Isn’t that how you end a real date?” Bog stared at her. Was she flirting with him? No. There was no way. She was  just playing. “I’m  really not good at this kind of thing at all.”

“Nonsense. You did great tonight, and  I think you deserve it, but if you don’t want to, that’s okay too.” Marianne was all smiles, a smile that was so big that she was squinting.

Bog actually had to stand and consider it for a moment before deciding that yes, he had earned it. He took a step toward Marianne and wrapped his arms around her  loosely . She stepped in, gave him a quick, firmer hug back, and then tilted her head up to kiss him on the cheek. “I enjoy spending time with ye too.”  She whispered into his ear, then she  deftly slid her hand down the collar of his shirt and snagged the cord of the necklace he had been wearing the entire evening, hidden beneath his shirt . She slid it out and let it fall on top of his suit with a very loud giggle. She tapped the shark tooth with one finger, then turned and danced up the steps to her house laughing.

Bog’s face turned bright red. He had no idea what the significance was of what Marianne did, but he  was embarrassed all the same. He got into his car and took a moment to gather his composure before heading home.

-=-=-=-=-=- 

Marianne closed the door behind her a little louder than she had intended. Her face was  just as red as Bog’s. He had been wearing the necklace the entire night, and it was so unnecessary. When she figured it out, she couldn’t resist showing that she had seen it. 

“Marianne.” Marianne was almost to the stairs when her father called out to her. He sounded off. “Please come in here.” Marianne hesitated in confusion. He sounded angry?  With much less enthusiasm, she walked beyond the stairs to the main living room and found her father sitting down with an unwelcome guest . Roland sat grinning next to her father, dangling a half-filled glass of scotch in one hand. Marianne only glanced at him, remembering what Bog had said. The grin on his face was  absolutely devilish, full of cunning and malice.

“Please sit down, Marianne.” Her father motioned to one of the chairs across from him and Roland.

“No.  I think I’ll stand. I’m going up to my room to go to bed, Dad.” Marianne stayed in the doorway, keeping her eyes on her father.

“We need to talk about you and Bogdan Laird. I don’t believe you should see him.”

“You told me I should do what makes me happy.” Marianne protested.

“Well, I’m changing my mind when what makes you happy could get you killed.” Lucas motioned to Roland, “We’ve been talking.”

“Oh, don’t listen to him! He’s a liar!” Marianne argued, gesturing  wildly at Roland.

“Roland told me that he suspects Bogdan is the one who attacked you, and it was all a plan to maintain contact with you.”

“I know what attacked me. It was not Bog.” Marianne folded her arms and cast a defiant glare at her father.

“Roland believes that Bogdan Laird is hiding a dangerous creature in that forest, and he may, in fact, be that dangerous creature himself masquerading as a human .”  Lucas sounded like he  fully believed what Roland had told him while Roland sat nearby, admiring his handiwork . “You need to talk to Roland.”

“ Absolutely not!” Marianne turned and ran out of the room. Frustrated tears stung her eyes, but she made it up the stairs and slammed her door behind her. She made sure to hit the lock as well. There was no way she was going to allow Roland to suck her into his web of lies again. 

-=-=-=-=-=- 

“I should go.” Roland rose from his chair and finished his drink. “I’m going to prove to Marianne that man is a monster. I’m sure he has some sort of charisma ability he’s using on Marianne right now. That’s why she’s so enamored with him. I mean, have you seen him? He’s ugly. He’s not good enough for Marianne. Why else would she choose him when she can have me?”

Lucas nodded in thought. Some of what Roland said had sunk in, but not  all of it. Now that Marianne was here, it sapped some of the strength behind Roland’s words.  Roland knew Lucas’ weakness was protecting his daughters and could work with that, but his weakness was also his strength, so he had to pick his words more  carefully .  His daughters would always be the spot Roland needed to use, but if he used the wrong phrasing, Lucas would question it . Marianne’s anger weakened Roland’s argument in Lucas’ eyes.

“You know,” Roland stopped in the doorway and looked over his shoulder at Lucas. “I could have a few of my people watch the girls and report back if they go down to Blackwood. You don’t want them there, right?” 

Lucas frowned at the thought of spying on his daughters, but Roland was right. He didn’t want them there, and he couldn’t assign anyone that worked for him to follow them. The girls would recognize their usual security detail following them around. 

“I’m going to have men following Bogdan Laird anyway. It’s no problem.”

“Okay.” Lucas sighed in agreement.

Roland nodded, “Good evening to you, Mr. King.” Roland smiled and left the room. Things were going as planned. 

-=-=-=-=-=- 

Bog drove in silence down the now lonely road from Rock Castle to Blackwood. It was after midnight, and he had only seen one car coming in the opposite direction. Sunny fell asleep in the backseat on his phone.  Literally . On his phone. Bog had glanced back and seen his face pressed into the screen.

“Perfect.” Bog grumbled, reaching up to  idly rub at the area of his chest that was right over his heart. He had done a little experiment and figured out when it hurt the most. It wasn’t when he was thinking about Marianne or when he saw her. It was when she left, and he didn’t know when he would see her again. The pain stopped when he invited her to Blackwood.

It cemented a fact to Bog, that he did not want to face.  One of the primary bloodline perks that came with being a Lycean was knowing when you met that person you  were supposed to spend your life with . From what he had  been told , there were many matches, not  just one. You went with the first one and stuck with them for life. That was easy for the more common types of Lyceans.

His line was not common. It was like looking for an actual princess in his case. As a Rex Regis, there were only 5% of all Lyceans who were like him.  At the rate that the hunters and vampires were killing Lyceans and seeking out his kind for recruitment, they would be extinct in  just a few more generations . 

There was no way that Marianne was a Rex Regis. If she was, she would have led with that as a conversation starter, not fire alchemy. No, her family was from Arcadis.  He wasn’t sure what rank her family was, but he did know they were strong hunters and had more than their fair share of alchemy knowledge . They could be the  equivalent , but those families didn’t live outside of Arcadis.

Leave it to him to have a match with a hunter. It wasn’t unheard of.  Still, when it happened, the Lycean  typically died at the hands of a hunter who did not understand a Lycean following them around all the time like a pet dog . It was the only role you could play in that relationship. You had to submit to the hunter because you could not kill them, and they did not feel the same way as Lyceans. The stories that  were told were always a warning. Refuse that bond. Turn away from it. Get away from that person because they will end up killing you in the end. You surrender, or you flee. Those were the only two choices.

Bog searched for another solution and considered submitting to fate. Still, he had one thing in his arsenal that none of the others had.  He lived in a different time, a time where Lyceans and Arcadians often had to behave in public situations and not immediately pull out the fangs and swords . He could take this very  slowly , and he already had a plan.

He would be friends with her because then he would know when he would see her again and put a stop to the pain. He would show her the beautiful things in the forest that he protected. The things that were pretty and useless so he could test  just how much she could  be trusted with.

Bog wasn’t going to let his heart win this battle. He could overrule it with his brain. He could manage it and keep her at a distance until she proved she could  be trusted . He had no choice in the matter. Lives depended on his ability to manage Marianne and deny his feelings for her until he knew he could trust her. It was a line he could walk if there any possibility that she had real feelings for him.

Since she wasn’t a Lycean, he knew she didn’t have the same initial attraction to him as he had for her. It wasn’t love at first sight. It went deeper.  Genetics dictated that he would  be drawn to someone like him, and going against his heart might end with it trying to kill him . Bog sighed and wished he was already at home. He still had another 20 minutes to go.

-=-=-=-=-=-

“How did it go?” Their mother met them at the door with a massive smile on her face. She ushered her two weary boys inside, talking the entire time. Sunny told her there would be pictures, then told her all about his evening dancing with Dawn. It had been a good night for him.

Bog sat  sullenly on the couch, staring into space while Sunny and his mother carried on their excited conversation . He was thinking hard about where he could take Marianne. Some small harmless creatures lived near his home. He could show them to her. The hair on his arm prickled up at another thought. He was going to be friends with Marianne, and she was going to touch him because she liked to do that. Bog smiled at the idea and ran his hands over his legs up to his knees. The thought made him lightheaded.

He had enjoyed Marianne touching him the entire evening, her arms wrapped around his. The feel of her warm, soft lips on his cheek. The hug. She hadn’t  been revolted by him at all. The warm flow of air over his year when she had whispered to him, so close.

“Bogdan.” His mother had sat down next to him and laid her hand on his arm in concern. Bog turned his head to her quickly, cheeks a bright shade of pink. He felt like he had just been caught doing something he shouldn’t have. “How was your evening with Marianne?”

“It was nice.” Bog stated without emotion, pursing his lips. He looked up to see that Sunny had left the room.

“Then why aren’t you smiling?” Zelda pushed. “What’s on your mind?”

Bog turned away from her, leaning forward and clutching his hands together. Zelda put her hand on his shoulder and leaned toward him. “Bogdan? Are you okay?”

“She’s nice.” Bog didn’t want to look at his mother. Speaking about things like this with her was uncomfortable. “I like her.”

“Like her, or LIKE her.” Zelda grinned, trying to see her son’s face. She could only see the bright red color shading his cheeks.

“Mom. I have a serious problem.” Bog didn’t want to tell her, but  maybe she could help? He turned to look at her. “I’m drawn to her. I’ve  been drawn to her since the first time I saw her.”

“Oh!” A huge smile spread over his mother’s face. “I had wondered. I hoped.”

“She’s a King.” Bog stated the obvious.

“Yes, I am aware.”

“She’s an Arcadian.”

“That’s a given.”

“She’s a Hunter.”

“ Obviously .”

Bog stared at his mother. “Ye have no problem with  all of that?”

“Not if she loves you.” She was still smiling.

“I doubt she does.” Bog scowled at her. “She’s nice to me. We had a good time tonight, and she told me she likes spending time with me.  I think it’s as friends, and I’ve never had a friend before.”

“Nonsense, Bogdan. You had plenty of friends when you were younger.” Zelda patted him  comfortingly on the back. “You  just got busy with work and running Blackwood.  Maybe it’s time to step back and give others some of your responsibilities. Bogdan, you deserve to be happy. I’ve sat back and watched you throw yourself into your work. You love your people, and they love you. You don’t have to do so much. It’s not something that has to  be earned .”

Bog stared at his mother. “I like  being involved .”

“But you don’t NEED to  be involved in everything.” His mother took his hands into hers.  “You don’t need to be hovering around the Tavern, keeping all the books, or roaming around town checking on everyone . You need to open up some free time to do things you want to do.”

“I like working.” Bog grumbled.

“Because it fills time.” Zelda patted his hands. “Fill your time with something else. Spend time with Marianne.”

Bog went silent, in deep thought. This would require him to change something about himself that he clung to for decades. He wasn’t sure he could do it. How much did he want to risk? His heart? His life? His family? A forest full of fantastic beasts? A town full of men, women, and children who depend on them with their lives? There was so much to be risked just for his happiness.

“Bogdan.” His mother leaned her shoulder against his, wrapping her arm around his back as far as she could reach. “You are important. Taking care of yourself is important. I don’t like seeing you so sad and alone.”

“I know. Ye keep pushing women at me.” Bog sighed.

“You found this one on your own, Bog,” Zelda stated. “I had nothing to do with it. If you  are meant to be together, then it will work itself out. I don’t see why she wouldn’t want you. You’re an amazing man, a hard worker, and you’re definitely responsible. You’re educated and love learning. You have good manners and are as moral as they come these days. You’re an amazing cook.”

“And this is the deal-breaker.” Bog scowled, sitting upright and gesturing from his head down his body. “Along with the whole turning into a big hairy animal thing.”

“Bogdan!” His mother snapped at him. “Do not say that about yourself. There is nothing wrong with you.”

“I’ve  been told otherwise.” Bog grumbled. “I am going to invite Marianne over and see what happens. Will that be enough?”

“Small steps, Son.” Zelda sighed. “At least take the small steps. I love you, and I want you to be happy. I choose to believe that everything will work out for you, given time and patience.”

“ Maybe .” Bog rose to his feet. “First, I’ll see if she actually wants to spend time with me.” He left the room, deciding that he would call Marianne after his morning shift at the Tavern. He didn’t want to call first thing in the morning. That would have seemed a little desperate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No updates next week. (Yeah, right... I will be strong... haha.. maybe not... I don't know....)
> 
> While the first part of this was in my original draft, I found the story to be short at 45k so I added more to make it over 60k and I think it improves the story I already enjoyed. It's kind of ridiculous to do that since I don't intend to approach anyone for publishing (with obvious alterations of course) but this story is my trial run for myself.  
I added everything in the next three chapters AFTER I finished the first draft and it's even nicer than this fake date scenario. :D I am so happy with Bog and Marianne interactions!


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning, Bog gets a surprise visitor.

Bog opened the door and was taken off guard. “Hey, Boggy!” Dawn bounced past him and into the house. “Where’s Sunny?”

“Upstairs. Getting ready for work.” Bog could barely speak. He didn’t turn to Dawn, his eyes locked on who had brought Dawn to his house.

“Good morning.” Marianne smiled up at him, her beautiful brown eyes looking far more energetic than they should have. She held two cups of coffee and a bag that had a bakery logo on it that Bog had never heard of. “Can I come in?”

“Y’yes.” Bog stammered, moving out of the way. What was she doing here?! It was before 7 in the morning, and she hadn’t called. His heart began beating quickly as he closed the door. She was in shorts and a white tank top with a rainbow-colored shark flying over her chest. Oh wow. She looked amazing!

“How about a vanilla cream iced coffee?” Marianne held out one of the cups, and Bog took it. He wasn’t sure what else to do. “I hope we’re not interrupting anything.” She eyed his work shirt.

“We’re heading down to the Tavern for morning shifts.” Bog said, still in a state of shock. What was she doing here?! It kept running through his head. He tried the drink that Marianne gave him and liked it. He licked his lips and found Marianne looking at him in an odd way when he did it. “It’s good. Thank ye.” He self consciously took another sip. “Uhm, why are ye here?”

“Uh.” Marianne rocked back and forth on her heels, staring up at Bog. “I wanted to thank you for last night, and I brought you some donuts from my favorite bakery.” She offered the bag to Bog. “We don’t have to stay long.” She added nervously, still smiling at Bog. Her eyes were so bright. Bog just wanted to keep looking at them.

“Thank ye.” He took the bag, smiled, and motioned to the kitchen. “Want to talk?”

“I do.” Marianne stifled a giggle.

-=-=-=-=-  
Marianne tried not to stare. She sat on one end of the kitchen island on a stool, and Bog was on the other one, trying one of the donuts she brought. Sleeping after their ‘fake’ date had been difficult. She said it was fake and tried to tell herself it was the entire time, but by the end, she had come to another conclusion.

She wanted him in her life. Maybe she had wanted him from the beginning and didn’t realize it. That didn’t matter at all now. Roland showing up in her living room, and trying to manipulate her father had been enough to push her into a new direction. She needed to get away from Roland and her home. She needed to try something new.

Even if there was nothing there on Bog’s end, she still wanted to be friends with him. He was unlike any man she had ever met. He was so polite and humble, not at all like the typical men found in Castle Rock. There were so many things she had thought about while trying to go to sleep. She had held the corsage he had given her and ran her fingers over the petals, just thinking. It was the sweetest gift a man had ever given her, even if it was a silly flower arrangement. He had put more thought into it than anything Roland had ever given her. 

Bog stood up for her and supported her when he didn’t have to. He had her back against Roland. He didn’t tell her he would take care of it, even though she was sure he could have. Bog didn’t intervene until he saw that what was happening wasn’t right. He knew what Roland was, and he knew about their world. She didn’t care what he was, even with Roland believing he was a Lycean. He could be an Atlantean or an Arcadian. There were families out there that separated themselves from their own kind, for a good reason. 

Arcadis could be overbearing in enforcing the rules, and many families didn’t agree with the old ways. Her own family kept their distance from the central city. The Kings tread a thin line of compliance and resistance. They picked their battles carefully. Marianne could do that too. Maybe that’s why the Lairds had remained running Blackwood while putting up a verbal wall to the citizens of Rock Castle.

Or maybe this perplexed man she was staring at with a slight smile on her face was just a human who knew about her world simply because his family lived near Rock Castle. There were humans in the city who knew all about them.

“These are good.” Bog gave Marianne a shy, crooked smile. “Soft, creamy, with a nice texture.” 

“Yeah.” Marianne smiled, focusing on his eyes and his mouth. He kept licking icing off of his lips. She momentarily considered stopping him and offering to take care of that herself. His lips looked so kissable. That wasn’t a thought that had passed her mind in a long time. She had a moment of disgust thinking about the last time she had that thought. Once, she had looked at Roland like that.

“Uhm.” Bog looked at Marianne uncertainly. The look on her face was not one he had ever seen on anyone’s face pointed in his direction. She had her elbow on the kitchen island, with her right hand propping up her chin. She was running her fingers over her lower lip and had a dreamy far off look on her face. She was also smiling at him. “Are ye okay?”

Marianne’s face turned bright red. Her eyes widened, and she looked down at her coffee cup. She had never done what she was going to do right now. “Would,would.”

“Yes?” Bog tilted his head toward her.

“Go out with me?” Marianne’s face contorted like it was painful to ask, then she smiled hopefully up at Bog.

He stared at her in disbelief, his lower jaw dropping. Bog must have had that look frozen on his face for too long because Marianne grimaced and looked away. “I’m sorry.” She whispered. “I’m not good at stuff like this.”

“Y’ye want to go out with ME?” Bog stammered. “Why? A real going out? Not a fake one? With M’ME?”

“Yes?” Marianne couldn’t look at him. Her cheeks were burning.

“Why?” Bog was completely baffled.

“I liked our fake date.” Marianne giggled, venturing a quick glance at Bog’s face. His face was as red as hers. Bog’s beautiful soulful blue eyes were wide in shock and disbelief. Then she added softly. “I’ve never asked someone out before. I didn’t want to do it on the phone.”

“But why?” Bog couldn’t get over it.

“You can say no.” Marianne looked away and whispered.

“Oh!” Bog jumped up and hit his hands on the island with a little too much excitement. His coffee cup spun, and he quickly grabbed it to keep from causing a mess. “NO!” He held it for a moment, glad that it didn’t pop open and spill everywhere. He took a deep breath. “Yes?” He looked up from his hands to meet Marianne’s eyes. They gazed at each other for a moment, faces still red with awkwardness.

“Is that a question or an answer?” Marianne smiled, biting her lower lip as she did it. She ran a hand through her hair, brushing it out of her eyes.

“Yes?” Bog gave her a crooked smile in return. “Yes, I would like to go out on a real date with ye, Marianne.”

Marianne smiled, her mind a complete blank. What had she done?! She had just intended to ask if they could be friends. Instead, she had asked him out on a date and had no idea where to go from there.

“What do ye want to do?” Bog ventured.

Marianne looked at him and admitted. “I have no idea.”

Bog looked aside, shaking his fist in thought and indecision. “I have to get Sunny and go down to work, but I am free this afternoon if ye are. I can show ye around town, and we can find something ye want to do?”

“Okay.” Marianne nodded. “We’ll just hang out at the Tavern.”

“For eight hours?” Bog scowled. “That’s too long for ye to just wait.”

“Okay, we’ll get a drink at the Tavern and then go wander around town?” Marianne smiled. “This is my fault, but we don’t have anything else to do today.”

Bog took a deep breath. He loved his routines. That sense of order and knowing what every day would be like. He controlled his life and lived by schedules. Order. He loved order. And now this girl had come to disrupt it, and he wasn’t sure how to handle it.

“I’ll go get Sunny and Dawn, and we can go down to the tavern.” Bog looked at Marianne. This beautiful woman was here for him? He couldn’t understand it, but there was no way he was going to let her slip through his fingers or do anything to turn her away. “I will see if I can get away earlier.”

-=-=-=-=-

Zelda spotted her son the moment he walked through the back doors to the tavern and fixed him with an annoyed scowl. He was late and so was Sunny. Then he went into the kitchen, along with Sunny. The girls were right behind them. Zelda gave a startled gasp and walked up to them, quickly ushering them to a nearby empty table. She took drink orders. The girls told her they had already had breakfast when she offered them a menu. They were just there to pass a little time.

Bogdan walked out of the kitchen with an armful of menus when Zelda intercepted him. “What are you doing?” She grabbed the menus out of his arm. She glared at her tall confused son. “You get out there and take those girls into town.”

“Uh, I’m working.” Bog tried to take the menus back.

“No. You are not.” His mother hissed, grabbing Bog’s arm. “Go.”

“What about me?!” Sunny looked around Bog hopefully. He was standing behind him, carrying a tray of food.

“You don’t have relationship problems, Sunny. Get to work.” Zelda fixed him with a stern glare.

“Ahh.” Sunny frowned.

“But, it’s busy.” Bog protested, still trying to get his menus back. His mother stepped back and pointed to the table. 

“Take them out. We’re fine.” Zelda was not going to budge. Bog stared at her a moment longer. He didn’t like the idea of skipping out on his scheduled hours, even if his mother told him to. He followed the schedule like he expected his employees to follow it. “Go, Bogdan Cadeyrn Laird. Do not argue with me.”

Bog glanced at the dining room, then at his mother. She meant it. “Okay.” He grumbled begrudgingly.

“Smile, Bogdan, Dear.” Zelda grinned at him. “Girls like it when a guy isn’t all scowly and grumpy.”

“I have to be me.” Bog grunted. “I can’t force a smile. I would look stupid.”

“Just go. I’ll get their drinks to go.” Zelda sighed. At least he was showing an interest in Marianne King. It didn’t matter that she was a King to Zelda. If that was the direction her son had to go, then so be it. Things would work out on their own. She had to believe that. Bog hesitated a moment longer, then headed into the dining room. 

-=-=-=-=-  
“I’m off.” Bog said quietly. He stopped on Dawn’s side of the table. She immediately scooted over with a smile. Bog sat down, careful not to get to close. 

“Oh?” Marianne smiled.

“My mother insisted,” Bog added, clasping his hands in front of him on the table. He looked conflicted and upset. His mouth was set in a flat line as he stared at his hands. “I’m not good at this.” He admitted without looking at Marianne.

“I am!” Dawn suddenly shifted and slid her arm around Bog’s waist, pushing herself right up against him. “You and Marianne are so much alike!” Bog stiffened at the contact and stared at Marianne across the table with a ‘Help me’ look on his face.

“Dawn.” Marianne cringed. “He’s too nice to ask you not to touch him.” 

“Oh.” Dawn grinned up at Bog. “Does it really bother you?”

“I’m not used to it.” Bog sighed, smiling down at Dawn. She was always kind to him, he couldn’t push her away or say anything negative. Her baby blue eyes fixed on him, full of that pure sweetness and innocence nobody could possibly fake. “I don’t mind.”

“But you do.” Marianne looked from Bog to Dawn. “Dawn.”

“I can’t help it.” Dawn giggled, moving her hand and hitting Bog’s arm with her shoulder. “You’re cute when you get that weird scowly look on your face.” She glanced up at Bog. “You try too hard to be scary.”

“Ye are very odd.” Bog gave Dawn a lopsided smile.

“That’s cute too.” Dawn turned to Marianne. “Isn’t his smile cute?”

“It is.” Marianne leaned on the table and smiled at Bog, which encouraged him to smile a little bit more. His cheeks flushed with the compliments. Nobody said things like that to him, outside of his mother, and Mom compliments didn’t count.

“Here you go.” Bog’s mother set two large paper cups with lids on the table. “Morning Sunrises. Good choice. Sunny made them. He wanted to be sure you knew that.”  
“Sunny, can’t come with us?” Dawn smiled at Zelda as she took her drink.

“Sunny has to work, Dear.” Zelda grinned. “I promise I’ll let him go as soon as I can.”

“Ahh.” Dawn pouted. “That’s okay. I can help Marianne and Bog figure out how to properly flirt.”

“If you manage that, I will give you all the milkshakes you want and have Sunny make them for you.” Zelda smiled at Dawn. Both Bog and Marianne looked at each other with a fresh round of embarrassment, shading their faces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... my power went out when I had only three sentences left to put a line return between ...  
Came back on six hours later and wooo, Chrome SAVED what I was working on! WOW!!!
> 
> There are so many things about Bog I enjoy writing, but I have to say, overly excited, not quite in control of himself Bog is one of the most fun. :D
> 
> This chapter was written after I completed the whole story. It reads differently than the prior ones due to me finding my way of writing after a ton of corrective action by Grammarly/Prowriting Aid. They were worth the money for only taking a month to correct so many of the bigger errors I like to make. I no longer resort to the word just as much, or very. Figuring out new ways to not say he and she constantly. NOW I'm working on getting rid of my overuse of the word HAD and putting comma's in the right place. :D I want to be a better writer!
> 
> Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays - this is an early update in case I forget and I'm about to pop updates up for the other two I need to.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog and Marianne go on a REAL date and Dawn has advice for them.

Bog took the King girls out in the golf cart. It was the easiest way to get around on the main street of town. Marianne sat next to him. He had no idea what he was doing. At least if he had been able to work for the morning, he would have been able to work up a plan. Now he had to think through all his tourist-oriented information.

“I’m thinking, maybe dinner and a movie if yer up for it?” Bog offered as he parked the golf cart at the town square. The road split away from the main highway that went through town. Main street was visible from the road to passing traffic but was set apart from it. 

“I can do that. It’s been a long time since I’ve watched a movie in a theater.” Marianne stepped off the cart and joined Bog and her sister on the sidewalk. From here, they could see most of the town’s restaurants and shops. A small theater showing a couple of new movies and an old one was visible across the square.

“I will take care of lunch.” Bog offered. “What would ye like?”

“We can go back to the Tavern for lunch,” Marianne suggested. “I uh, intend to stay all day.”

“Oh?” Bog blinked in surprise. “All day?” 

“Yes.”

Bog stared at her uncertainly. What happened last night? Confusion ran wild, and his heart fluttered around in his chest, driving him crazy. Every time he looked at Marianne, she looked at him with a smile on her face. She liked him? She really did like him? That was a step in the right direction, but it was such a difficult thing to accept. 

“Then ye’d like to have dinner? Maybe after the movie?” Bog ventured. “If ye like good food, I recommend Longmire.” He motioned to a nearby steakhouse.

“Sure,” Marianne nodded in agreement. “How about we watch Wonder Woman?”

“The first one wasn’t too bad.” Bog mused staring at the theater. “I guess I can watch a DC movie in the theater for the first time… uhh.. When was the last good one?”

“Joker.” Marianne grinned. “But not quite the same thing.”

“That movie was depressing,” Bog grumbled. “And uncomfortable. It doesn’t count.”

“Yeah, well, this should be at least okay?” Marianne began to think about the other movies showing.

“I’m fine with it.” Bog realized he needed to stop being difficult.

Dawn walked between them, slipping an arm around them. “You two. Seriously. When you go watch a movie as a couple, you’re not supposed to really WATCH the movie. You sit in the very back and kiss and make out.”

“Dawn.” Marianne turned to look at her sister.

“So I’ve heard?” The little blond giggled, her cheeks flushing a light shade of pink.

“Who have you been making out with?” Marianne’s eyes narrowed in concern.

Unfortunately, nobody!” Dawn groaned. “It just sounds like fun! You two are old! You don’t need to waste time.”

‘Now ye sound like my mother.” Bog smirked.

“And now you should kiss.” Dawn stepped back and looked at the two of them expectantly.

Marianne and Bog looked at each other. Neither felt comfortable doing anything like that on command.

“Come on.” Dawn folded her arms and pouted at them.

“Seriously, Dawn. Not with an audience.” Marianne sighed and reached for Bog’s arm. That she was comfortable with. She did want to kiss him. But now was not the right time. He looked so uncomfortable.

Bog lifted his hand to meet Marianne’s before she got to his arm. He smiled, taking her smaller warm hand in his own. This, he could handle. It sent a strange warmth through him. That minimal contact felt so good. He couldn’t say it, but he needed to avoid kissing Marianne for as long as possible. Did he want to? Yes. He absolutely did. But he had to be careful.

A kiss on the cheek was nothing. It felt nice, and it was pleasant, but on the mouth, it was the start of a more physical chain of events. That would only encourage the already strong pull Bog had toward her. He could still pull away if he needed to. A kiss. Expressing love for her in any way would walk him closer to a point, he would not be able to turn away from her. He knew the boundary that Lyceans should not cross if they needed to avoid sealing a relationship.

In the end, if she decided Bog was not right for her and walked away, he would be left with a severely broken heart. It would be worse than any of the small rejections he had received over the years. He could avoid it until he was sure.

=-=-=-=- 

Bog spent the evening nervously trying to keep his hands to himself. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. During the movie, sharing a bucket of popcorn had been awkward for him. He kept hitting Marianne’s hand, then finally stopped trying to eat any of it. Marianne moved the bucket into the seat next to her and pushed the arm between them up. The moment he felt the arm shift, Bog began panicking.

Marianne leaned against him and slid her fingers down his arm and on top of his hand. He stared at the screen in shock, tightening his free hand on the other armrest. Her fingers moved over his in a gentle motion that made him shiver. He couldn’t help it. He responded by grasping them, then he began doing the same thing, rubbing his fingers over hers. It was so strange. Bog had no idea what he was doing other than it felt like the right way to respond. Why did this small bit of contact feel so incredible? If this felt so pleasant, how good would hugging and kissing her be?

The movie ended far too quickly. Bog left the theater holding Marianne’s hand in his, but still trying to keep from moving further than that. He liked holding her hand. He told himself, this was good. This is where he needed to stop. There was no rush. He could hold her hand forever if she let him. She seemed to like it. She had a good grip on him, and it was comforting. She kept leaning against his arm, and he liked that too.

=-=-=-=- 

Marianne found Bog a little irritating in how resistant he was to what she was trying to do. When they were sharing popcorn, she thought it was nice to accidentally touch his hand. He would get an awkward look in his eyes if she looked at him after it happened and look away. Eventually, he stopped trying, and Marianne couldn’t figure out why. She wasn’t sure if he wasn’t interested or if he was seriously worried about what she would think. She moved the popcorn out of their way and pushed up the chair arm.

Bog went rigid the moment she did it and clenched his hands together across his lap, closing himself off. At first, Marianne held back but then took a risk. He came across more as painfully shy than not wanting any attention. She decided she would take control of the situation and let him know it was okay to enjoy something as innocent as holding hands. He liked that earlier in the day. She knew he did. Bog held her hand, and she caught him multiple times looking at her with a soft smile, his beautiful blue eyes gazing at her beneath thick black eyelashes that a man should never have.

Marianne leaned against Bog and slipped her hand down the underside of his arm, where she knew he would be the most sensitive to touch. He didn’t push her away as her fingertips slid across his palm and into his warm hand. She may not have been good at some things, but she knew enough. Marianne hated that some of these things were things she had done to Roland. He had loved every bit of physical contact she wanted to give him and encouraged it.

Roland had wanted far more than Marianne had been comfortable giving. She had no intention of pushing herself onto Bog like that. She wanted him to know that she was content with him, and he could relax and accept the small, simple things. Marianne couldn’t help but feel most of Bog’s problem was being afraid of offending her. He seemed terrified and unsure of what to do with his hands, and it could come off as not wanting the attention at all. He sent conflicting signals.

Then he relaxed and began responding. He didn’t say anything, but she would still catch him, giving her uncertain looks out of the corner of his eye. He appeared to be making sure what he was doing was okay. If they were going to have a relationship, this was going to be tricky to get around. What happened to him to make him this way? Was he really so sensitive that someone had wrecked his self-confidence to the point it was at? He seemed fine when he was talking to people in the Tavern. Someone hurt him, and it made her want to help. 

Roland hurt Marianne, but she recovered from it and felt she was stronger. She was wary about relationships, but Bog felt safe. He felt safe because of the very thing that annoyed her right now. He was still holding up a wall, and she was on the other side, attempting to climb over it.

=-=-=-=- 

Longmire had a pleasant romantic atmosphere with soft lights, good music, and excellent food. Bog encouraged Marianne to order whatever she wanted and, with a scowl, told her, “No salad!” 

“Toss it in the trash!” Marianne grinned across the table from him. “Wait, can I order a salad and have them toss it in the trash?” The thought appealed to her. “Well, just tell them to tell me they tossed it in the trash. They don’t really have to. I like the thought!” 

The conversation brought a smile to Bog’s face. His smile was more relaxed and genuine, and he laughed a very loud, hearty laugh. “Salad is what dinner eats!” Bog called over a waiter and gestured to Marianne to order. 

Now they were onto a better part of their date. Marianne gleefully ordered a steak, medium rare, with a giant baked sweet potato covered in everything. She also asked for loaded up mashed potatoes. Roland would never have let her order such a mixture, but who cared here? Bog smiled and ordered a rare steak twice the size as Marianne’s, fried okra, and loaded mashed potatoes with lobster gravy. Marianne blinked when he added that last item on. It wasn’t on the menu and sounded really good. 

Bog caught the curious look on her face. “Would ye like that too? It’s a custom specialty we’re testing out. I was supposed to come in and try it last week.” 

“I’d love to try it.” Marianne grinned, going over his words. He said we’re. Did he own the restaurant? 

Bog instructed the waiter to add it to Marianne’s dish. “Would ye like wine with yer meal? I know ye have to drive home, but a glass shouldn’t cause a problem. Just wait an hour.” 

“Sure.” Marianne reached for the wine menu and immediately went down the list. 

A few minutes later, a bottle of Blackwood Cabernet Sauvignon sat on the table, and she sipped it from a glass. “You should have some.” Marianne grinned, motioning to the empty wine glass in front of Bog. “It’s good.” 

“I don’t drink.” Bog replied with a bottled root beer in hand. “I don’t mind if ye do, I just don’t.” 

“Why?” Marianne was curious. 

“Not a good idea.” Bog paused for a moment, like he was thinking about something. The smile that had been plastered on his face since they sat down in the restaurant faded. Then it returned. “Ye can take the bottle with ye when ye go. I won’t drink it, and I hate for things to go to waste.” 

Marianne sipped from her glass and smiled, enjoying the taste. “Do you own the Longmire?” She ventured. 

Bog looked startled. “I do.” His face flushed with embarrassment. Marianne immediately stopped herself from pursuing her curiosity. She might ruin the evening. 

The rest of the dinner was spent with casual talking about the food, the movie, and the day. They left together and headed back to the tavern, hand in hand. Main street was full of people out enjoying the evening. Bog and Marianne were just another couple among them. 

-=-=-=-=-

“I’m an awful date.” Bog moaned as they neared the Tavern. 

“No, you’re not.” Marianne bumped her hip against his leg. “I am far worse.” 

“No, yer not.” Bog grinned down at her. A glimpse of playfulness flashed over his face. “I don’t know what to do. I am bad at this.” It was nice to be able to voice his insecurities. He couldn’t help but feel it was okay with Marianne.

“You did fine. I had a good time.” Marianne smiled. “There is one thing that you can do that will make this date perfect.” She looped her arm around his. “I will even tell you what to do if it will help.” 

“What do ye want to do?” Bog turned to lead Marianne up the drive that went to his home. 

“I’ll show you.” Marianne giggled, “When we get to your house.” Bog looked ahead nervously. He wasn’t sure what she had in mind and was both excited and terrified.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of the chapters added after I finished the story and I'm glad I added them, because they build up a little more of a relationship between them and Bog's open to trying, even though he still believes it's going to fail and he's doing EVERYTHING WRONG, even when he isn't.
> 
> Happy New Year!


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The impromptu date goes on with a lot of fumbling and awkwardness.  
Technology busts Bog.

It only took a few minutes to reach Bog’s home. The lights were on and he could hear music being played inside. He was headed up the steps to porch when Marianne pulled on his arm to make him stop walking. He looked at her in confusion. Then she held out her arms. “Look, you’ve been doing this weird thing all evening where you’re afraid to touch me. I am giving you permission to give me a hug.” 

Bog blinked at her. This was so awkward. He set the wine bottle on the porch. Then he lifted his arms and held them up. Marianne sighed and walked into him, sliding her arms around his waist and hugging him. Bog dropped his arms warily over her shoulders. It felt amazing. Before last night, nobody outside of his family had ever hugged him, and it was so different. The pleasant warm feeling Bog had every time Marianne touched him in any way intensified. 

“I had fun. I hope it wasn’t bad.” Bog relaxed, and his body curled around and over Marianne in a more natural embrace. 

“I had a good time. Thank you.” Marianne felt good in his arms, like she could stay there happily forever. She was not in any hurry to leave.

“Next time, if ye give me more warning, we’ll have a better date.” Bog murmured. “Uh, if ye want to go out again. Do ye want to? Or is this one of those things where ye have my number, and I’m talking too much right now, aren’t I?”

“Shut up.” Marianne held onto him, a smile across her face as she kept her cheek against his chest and closed her eyes. He went silent, just holding her and beginning to sway slightly to the music in the house. Bog couldn’t help it. He liked the song and it just felt natural to want to move to it. “Dance with me, Bog.” Marianne grinned, taking a step back.

“No way! I’ve seen how ye dance, and I don’t need ya murdering my feet!” Bog pulled back with a grin. Marianne’s hands slid down his arms, and she hooked her fingers around his to keep him from getting away.

“Don’t dance too close then?” She laughed pulling him around in a circle. “I know you can dance! Don’t hold back!”

“No, I’m not. I’m afraid of those shoes.” Bog moved his feet, not trying too hard to keep away from her.

“Look at me!” Marianne giggled, turning the other direction, swinging backward so that Bog had to hold onto her to keep her from falling.

“Did ya sneak more wine out of that bottle while I wasn’t looking?” Bog began laughing, moving with her in a circle. His gleaming blue eyes were fixed on Marianne’s now, lost in them. 

“Bogdan, it’s okay to touch me.” Marianne let go of one of Bog’s hands and spun around into him. Bog leaned forward, not thinking about what he was doing, just feeling that was expected. He found himself within inches of her face, smiling. Her eyes took on the light of someone thinking about doing something daring, and she bit her lower lip.

“NO!” Bog jerked backward harder than he intended as Marianne tilted her head and leaned up to give him a quick kiss. He accidentally pulled her with him as he tripped over his own feet and fell on his back on the porch. She landed on top of him in a confused mess. Bog shook beneath her and stared upward.

“I’m sorry?” Marianne slid off of him and scooted away, staring at him in shock.

Bog cringed, pushing himself into a sitting position, wiping a hand over his face. “I am so stupid. I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to react like that! Are ye okay?” Then he began swearing and grabbing his hair in both hands. “Stupid. Stupid. I am so sorry!” 

Marianne stared at him in complete confusion. She just tried to kiss him. That was all. It was harmless, and they were having a good time. It seemed like a natural thing to do, and she had been so wrong. “I guess I should go.” She stated shamefully.

Bog moaned. “I screwed it all up! I’m sure that made a great impression!” He sat there, looking sad, not sure how to fix it. “Stupid, stupid.” He glanced at Marianne and only felt worse. “Not ye. Ye didn’t do anything wrong, I swear.”

“Dance with me.” Marianne smiled and held out her hand. Bog looked at her hand with a stunned look on his face.

“Why would ye want me? Why? There is nothing redeeming about me.”

Marianne scooted closer, holding out her hand. “Because you’re different.” She smiled, searching for a way to salvage the evening.

“So, I’ve been told.” Bog grunted lifting his hand toward hers. “Never in a good way.”

“Different is what I like.” Marianne slid her hand into his. “Do I have to ask to kiss you? Would that have made it better? You just seemed like you wanted to.”

Bog stared at her, mouth slightly open. “Ye wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me.” She smiled.

“Yeah, not right now.” He smirked, lowering his eyes to look at her hand in his. He did want to kiss her. But he wasn’t sure if he could handle it. That would be that step into danger that he didn’t want to take. His head kept telling him he couldn’t trust her, but everything else wanted to invite the possibility of love. Bog pulled his hand back and got to his feet. Love is dangerous. You don’t really want love. Negative thoughts echoed through his head and brought the dull ache back to his chest. “I don’t blame ye if ye don’t want to go out again. I’m sorry about this evening. I’ll go in and get Dawn, so ye can get home.”

Marianne leaped to her feet. She couldn’t let the date end like this. “Bog.” She got between him and the door he was reaching for. He took a step back, staring at her in wonder. “Try again?”

“Try what again?” Bog looked at her with suspicion. His guard was up now.

“Last night, I kissed you on the cheek. You never kissed me.” She smiled and tapped her cheek, turning her head to one side. “Maybe next time, we can go further.”

Bog nodded slowly, leaning forward and reaching out to place his arms on Marianne’s shoulders. “I do not trust ye.” He stared into her eyes. “Yer sneaky.” He smiled and took the chance. Bog had her back to the door so she couldn’t try anything. She could turn her head, but he turned so she could only reach his cheek. Then he kissed her lightly on the cheek. It was a lot of trouble to go through for such a simple kiss, but it was still nice. She smelled so good. So amazingly good, he couldn’t resist a moment longer.

Bog leaned back and smiled, then tilted his head and awkwardly went for it. After all that, he was going to get at least one real kiss. He ended up smacking his forehead into the door as Marianne ducked with a laugh. “I am sneaky.” She grinned trailing a hand over his chest. “But I like you, and I don’t want you doing something uncomfortable, because you think I would like it.”

Bog smiled, feeling his heart flutter wildly in his chest. She had saved him from himself in that gesture. He had felt a little pressured, but now it was gone. He felt like less of a failure with Marianne’s move. She said she liked him. Even after his missteps. “I’ll get Dawn for ye.” Bog opened the door, then turned to her. “I do like ye. Yer amazing, Marianne.”

“But you don’t trust me?” She smiled.

“Yer a King.” Bog made a mock scowling face at her. “And yer a woman. Yer trouble.” He ended with a crooked smile. “Sometimes, I go looking for trouble. Goodnight, Marianne.”

-=-=-=- 

Sometimes, I go looking for trouble.

Bog grimaced as he went over the day’s events. Why had he said that? It was so stupid. But the look on Marianne’s face when he had said it was one he would never forget. She smiled at him in a way that nobody ever smiled at him. Her face glowed with a lovely shade of pink. The entire day had been good, despite the bumpy parts. Bog trailed his hand over his chest. The ache was gone. 

The day had far more highlights than negatives. Next time they went on a date, and there would be a next time, Bog would do a better job. He had to. Marianne was the only woman in his life who liked him. It might work out. He would take it slow and see. Such a beautiful woman deserved the best he could offer, and he hoped it would be enough. His mother’s pep talk was hard to take. Believing someone wanted him after years of thinking otherwise was difficult to hold onto. 

Getting his hopes up was probably a bad idea. Bog decided to manage his expectations. For now, he just wanted to be on friendly terms with her and hope he didn’t make any errors. He would take things as they came and hope for the best. In the end, he might have a real chance at love, or he would die at her hands. He grimaced as the final thought creeped in. Why did he do that to himself? This was a different age. He would give this more thought and learn more about Marianne before revealing what he was. He wouldn’t allow her to find out about the rest of Blackwood until he knew with absolute certainty that she wouldn’t pose a danger to the community.

-=-=-=- 

Dawn was still up going through all the pictures on the cloud she shared with her sister. She was dressed for bed but hadn’t wound down from the day yet. Humming a cheerful tune and wiggling her chair back and forth, she skimmed through the pictures. She was going through the photographs from earlier in the day and from the ball. She sorted them into different folders depending on who they were for. It had been a while since she had done this, and there were a ton of pictures, but she was having a good time picking out the best ones and giggling at the ones she took of Sunny.

She ran out of party pictures after awhile and skimmed through older images, deleting photos that were blurry or just bad. They were labeled by whose phone they came off of. Marianne never sorted her photos so Dawn would do it for her. Marianne wasn’t that great with keeping up with the content on her phone.

Dawn giggled, spotting a very awkward looking selfie taken by Bog. Oh, that was interesting. Bog had taken a selfie on Marianne’s phone? Had they been talking more than Marianne let on? Dawn smiled, clicking through to the next picture. She almost fell out of her chair in fright.

There on the computer was the image of a vicious looking goblin. It looked startled with one hand up, showing off the curved claws. Claws, which looked like they were spaced exactly far enough apart to have caused the injuries on Marianne’s body. Dawn gasped and made a copy of the photo. 

Marianne would have checked her phone and looked at the pictures from that night; however, it was clear Bog had the phone from his selfie. Dawn suddenly felt queasy. He deleted the photo off the phone, not realizing that even though it had been removed, all photos were automatically backed up to the cloud. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to show it to Marianne. Her sister would surely be mad.

Dawn sighed and picked up her laptop. She was sure Marianne was still awake and she needed to see the photo now.

-=-=-=-

Marianne smiled and laughed.

Dawn thought that was an odd reaction to what she had just shown her. “Marianne, are you okay?” 

“Perfect, Dawn. Better than okay.” Marianne ruffled Dawn’s hair, still grinning like a maniac. It was worrying.

“Dawn. When we were at the Laird’s home last time, I convinced Bog to take me to where I was attacked. I saw goblin tracks!” Marianne motioned to the photo. “And THAT is a goblin! I have proof!”

“Bog deleted it,” Dawn whispered. “He lied to you. He said it was a bear.”

“Dawn.” Marianne giggled. “It all makes sense. He is protecting it and apparently it listens to him. I broke the rules, and it attacked me because I was in a place I shouldn’t have been in!” Dawn looked at her sister like she was crazy. She wasn’t making any sense at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IF you heard the music while reading this, I did a good job. ;) I find the song that's in there to be so appropriate for Bog and Marianne.
> 
> Marianne, trying to work with Bog's insecurities and obviously already loving him. :D Only 9 chapters left!


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything falls apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minor note: I have problems classifying my work. This is clearly Urban Fantasy and I believe it's Fluff and not outright romance. Here's the thing, I don't read romance novels. :D I hate them. :D So what have I written if I have to classify it?

Bog was getting ready for bed when his phone went off. He wasn’t sure who would be calling, and it could wait until he was good and ready to answer it. Bog grumbled, finishing his nightly routine in the bathroom. He pulled off his shirt and tossed it into the hamper. He grabbed his phone off the dresser and checked to see who it was. The first thing he saw was he had a message from Marianne. He smiled slightly. “Don’t count on me messaging ye like Sunny does with Dawn.” Bog grumbled, clicking on it.

Bog almost dropped the phone and let out of a string of swears so vile that he heard Sunny close the door to his bedroom across the hall. Bog stared at the picture and turned in a circle with a hand to his head, grabbing handfuls of hair. Stupid. He was so STUPID! Bog ran down the hall and then downstairs. He was outside in the front yard in moments, looking at the trees by the house fighting the urge to shift and go for a good run, kill something massive and then eat the whole thing.

The picture of Brutus he had deleted was now on his phone along with a message. Bog squinted as his phone chimed, and more messages arrived.

“I just want to see him. Prove to me he’s harmless and it was an accident. I remember what you said.” Bog’s anger subsided considerably, and he let out a deep sigh of relief. Well. That changed his plan. She had the upper hand, and she was going to force him to trust her.

Bog messaged back a simple: Okay.

Marianne immediately replied back: Are you okay?

I don’t have a choice, do I? Bog began pacing as he carried on the conversation.

I won’t tell anyone. I promise.

I’m not going to let you hurt him. You already lit his face on fire.

I promise.

You wouldn’t hurt a guard dog doing its job. It’s the same thing with them.

I know.

He only meant to scare you away. He didn’t intend to hurt you. Bog kept messaging, worried about Brutus now. Please. You know if he was actually a danger to anyone, there would be reports. You were the only person in the last 30 years that has been hurt by an animal here.

Bog. Stop. I don’t want to hurt him. I just want to see it.

-=-=-=-=-=- 

Marianne stared at her phone and the string of messages, wishing they were talking face to face. She had ambushed him. With a sigh, Marianne clicked the call button.

-=-=-=-=-=- 

Bog cringed when the phone rang. He walked further away from the house and answered it. “Ye have me. What more do ye want, Marianne?”

“I’m sorry,” Marianne spoke quietly. Bog stopped walking, his rage subsiding into sheer panic and fear.

“Yer Sorry? I wish I had never met ye.” Bog hissed into the phone. “None of this would have happened. Ye would never have been hurt in the first place.”

“Today would never have happened.”

“Today obviously didn’t mean anything, so I don’t see why that matters.”

“It mattered to me.”

“Well, yes, ye sent me the blackmail photo.” Bog was beginning to get angry again. He wanted to end the call but also wanted to hear what Marianne had to say. 

“Bog, when I got home after the ball, Roland was here with my father.” Bog shut his mouth and listened, suddenly more concerned about Marianne than himself or Brutus. “Roland has my father convinced you’re a monster or you’re hiding one in your forest, and I’m not to see you again. If I meet your goblin and he’s what you say he is… and I take a couple of photos for proof for my father, then this ends.” Marianne paused, wiping a hand across her eyes, preparing for what she was going to say next. “And then, maybe it would be better if we stayed away for your safety.”

“Okay.” Bog winced. “That’s uh, not what I wanted, Marianne, but yer right.”

“I’m pretty sure my dad’s watching Dawn and me. We’ll come up on Independence Day, okay? I’ll just tell him we’re going out to watch fireworks with friends.” Marianne paused for a moment. “If it’s okay with you.”

“I’ll show ye everything, Marianne. There’s more for ye to see. Ye need to see why it’s important that people don’t know what’s up here.” Bog took control of the call. “Is yer father a good man? Will he leave things alone that need to be left alone?”

“He’s my father.” Marianne sighed. “You know I’m going to say he’s a good man. He’s never hunted anything that didn’t do something first that forced him to do it. We’re not like that. It’s not for money or glory with Dad. I can convince him not to do anything if there’s no real danger, and following the rules is something he’s big on. You know the Kings have NEVER broken a Laird rule.”

“I do, but ye won’t understand until you see what I have to show ye.” Bog felt a little better about what Marianne was telling him. She was trying to help, not hurt the situation. When they got through it, that would be it. He would show her everything that didn’t include a giant black wolf. That was completely unnecessary. “Goodnight, Marianne.” He cut the call before she could reply and headed back toward the house. He felt incredibly tired now.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Marianne stared at her phone. She couldn’t help but feel that as much as this sounded like a sacrifice for Bog, it would also be one for her. It began as a dull ache in her heart. Marianne would get to see Bog one more time, and then she might never see him again. The pain intensified at the thought, and she sat down on her bed, running the back of her hand over her eyes.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fully Edited, DEEPLY edited and rewritten, last scene. :D  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Marianne stared at her phone, tears sliding down her cheeks, shocked into silence by how much she messed up in the last ten minutes. If she hadn’t acted without thinking and brought the photo to Bog on another day, along with what Roland was doing to her father, Bog would have tried to help her. 

Instead, she shoved the photo in his face, proud of figuring out his secret. Now, Bog thought she was only around him to dig up information, not because she liked him. That wasn’t her intention, and the accusation hurt, along with Bog’s rant, and she deserved every word.

This misunderstanding and Bog’s suffering was her fault. She sacrificed his feelings for a stupid reason. A dull ache rose in her chest, realizing she would get to meet Bog one more time, and might never see him again. The pain intensified at the thought, and she sat down on her bed, running the back of her hand over her eyes.

There had to be a way to fix what she did, a way to prove to Bog she never meant to threaten him. To lose Bog, a genuinely nice guy, was not a price she wanted to pay. Marianne wanted him in her life, and she would figure out how to do it. 

Bog was worth fighting for, as a friend or something more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of my favorite chapters and I made it 50% more favorite after I edited it. Sorry, the extreme editing is for the print/my personal site so small things have been changed, specifically names for obvious reasons. The edited chapter is 500 words longer. I'm so happy with how it's turning out and will finish my editing in a week, then I will show off art with the remaining updates. Maybe more excerpts.
> 
> It takes a LONG time to rewrite and edit. Each chapter is running me 2-4 hours, broken up throughout a day.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A stressed out Bog is still dealing with his feelings for Marianne and her betrayal, while preparing for her visit to introduce her to his goblins.
> 
> Marianne tries to reason with her father, who is still under Roland's charm.

Bog spent the next week keeping busy. He had a lot to do, and his thoughts were all on making this event the best one that he could. For the first time in his life, he had to impress a woman and do it in such a way that she would never come back again. The irony was not lost on him.

Festivals and celebrations were always taken seriously in Blackwood. They didn’t hold random parties like the people of Rock Castle did. They didn’t have that kind of leisure time, but when big celebrations came around like Christmas, Thanksgiving, Independence Day, and Halloween, Bog always made sure everyone was able to participate. Independence Day and Halloween were particularly big holidays because of the number of people who weren’t from Blackwood who would swarm into their little town.

Bog wouldn’t be able to do as much as usual, because he planned on being with Marianne the entire time. He was stressed out and worried to the point that he wasn’t getting a lot of sleep and kept nodding off in the office over piles of paperwork.

“Bogdan!” Bog grumbled as his mother shook his shoulder enthusiastically.

“Please, Mom, five more minutes.” Bog groaned and tried to sink his head into his folded arms.

“I just wanted to show you the pictures, Bog!” Zelda continued rocking Bog’s shoulder. Bog looked up to take a glimpse of one of the better pictures that Sunny and Dawn had taken of him and Marianne. He stood with both arms wrapped around her, gazing at her. She had her arms wrapped around his waist, head resting on his chest.

“Please, Mother.” Bog closed his eyes and turned his head away.

“I’m going to leave this one here.” He heard his mother set the photo down on the desk in front of him. “You should invite them to come down for Independence Day, Bog.”

“They are coming, Mother.” Bog grumbled.

“They are such lovely girls. I am so happy for you, Bog.” Zelda leaned over Bog and hugged him.

“Mother.” Bog sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “Mother. Please, just stop. She’s not my girlfriend or anything. It was a fake date, both of them. I’ve told ye this a million times. They meant nothing.”

“Are you sure?” Zelda made a show of flipping through the handful of prints and then pulled one out to wave it in Bog’s face. “Girls don’t look at guys like this that they don’t at least like.”

Bog stared at the photo but didn’t take it. He was looking away in this one, and Marianne was looking at him with the strangest expression. She was smiling, her cheek on his arm, both eyes fixed on him. It wasn’t a fake smile. It made Bog feel strange and lightheaded, being reminded of the real date. He pushed the photo away. 

“It was not a real, Mother.” He muttered. None of this mattered. 

“Bog.” Zelda frowned, putting the photos down and taking one of Bog’s hands into hers. “I don’t like seeing you like this. You need to get some rest. Everything is ready. We can handle anything that comes up.”

“Can you?” Bog stared down at his mother, sleepily. He wasn’t thinking about tomorrow. He was thinking further into a possible future where something happened to him. 

“Sure, we can!” Zelda pushed Bog away from the desk. “Go on up to the house. I don’t want to see you down here until tomorrow morning!”

Sleep sounded good. He was at a point where he was staring at forms, forgetting what he was doing. Bog leaned over his mother and picked up the stack of photos. She smiled but didn’t say anything, giving him one last gentle shove to the door.

-=-=-=-=-

Bog trudged up to the house through the shortcut in the woods where he was alone. There were probably 20 pictures in his hand, and he was going through them one by one. It was the first time he had seen them. Dawn sent the photos to Sunny, who sent them to their mom. Marianne hadn’t talked to him since their impromptu date. 

No messages. 

No phone calls.

Bog leaned against a tree and stared at the photo currently on top. It was a badly cropped one where he was missing his head, but it showed Marianne smiling at the camera with little twinkling lights all around her head. He went through more photos, continuing on his way to the house.  
-=-=-=-=-

Marianne was arguing with her father again. Even when she was a teenager, she never argued this much with him. She knew that Roland kept coming around and talking to him. She tried to tell him what Roland could do, but Lucas would not believe her. He was more convinced that it was Bog who had this ability and was trying to steal her away from him.

“Dad, I’m 28 years old. I can make decisions for myself.” Marianne was trying to keep her voice down. Dawn would get upset if she heard them fighting again, and Marianne was trying to avoid that. “I told you, we faked the whole date at the Ball to get you off my back, and if I do happen to want to actually date Bogdan Laird, you have no say in that matter.”

“As head of the King household, I do have a say,” Lucas responded in an uncharacteristically harsh tone. “You should be with Roland. He’s a good man who wants the best for you. He wants to keep you safe, just like I do.”

“No, he wants to control me so I can have a bunch of kids with him.” Marianne snapped. “The two of you are nothing alike.”

“I do want grandchildren.” Her father’s focus shifted.

“You have Dawn for that. I’m sure.” Marianne gestured wildly. “Nobody wants me. I don’t want anyone. I don’t even want to think about kids, because we’re obviously a huge pain!”

“You’re lying to me, Marianne. I can’t believe you would lie to me to cover up for a man like Bogdan Laird.” Her father sank into a nearby chair and looked away from her. “I don’t think this would be as much of an issue if you just admitted it and were upfront with me.”

“Ugh!” Marianne flopped into the chair across from her father. “Dad. I am telling you the truth. “Bogdan Laird is a perfect gentleman.” She stared at the floor as she spoke, her voice lowering. “He’s kind and cares about his family. He protects people he doesn’t even trust. Dad, he saved my life, and all you want to do is trap him in something and let Roland kill him or worse.”

Lucas was quiet for a moment, thinking about it. “Please, Dad, don’t let Roland hurt him.” Marianne stared at her father. She wasn’t getting through to him. This argument had occurred every day for the last week and a half, and he would not budge.

“Marianne, please be reasonable. He’s some kind of manipulative creature.”

Marianne groaned, throwing her head back against the chair cushion. “Daaad. Roland is the manipulative creature.” She got up suddenly and crossed the space between them. “I love you, Dad.” Marianne threw her arms around him and almost fell into the chair with him. “But you’re driving me crazy right now.”

Then Marianne rose to her feet. She looked down at her father seriously. “If you want me to be happy, then let me make my own mistakes. I like Bogdan. He’s my friend. I do have to see him one more time about unfinished business, and then I won’t ever see him again. I need you to be patient and not do anything Roland suggests.” Marianne walked toward the door, then she turned back to her father. “I forgive you, Father. I know you don’t mean anything you’re saying right now.”

Lucas sighed and looked away from his daughter. His thoughts were a jumbled mess lately when it came to Marianne. He considered her words and thought that maybe it would be a good idea to ignore Roland’s visit if he came today. The least he could do is put what she was saying to the test.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today I finished editing Blackwood for my alternate print edition. Good grief, I made some severe errors that I fixed. I will probably sprinkle in some edits in the last three chapters, because I slipped into narrator mode and shouldn't have done that!


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day has come for Bog to show Marianne everything.

Bog woke up with a start, covered in sweat and breathing hard. The previous day was a blur after he had made it to the house and collapsed in his bed. He slept the afternoon, evening, and night through. His heart was racing, and Bog tapped it lightly with his fingers, uttering a word to calm it.

The nightmare hadn’t begun as a nightmare. It started with a sweet dream about Marianne. He was dreaming about today, and she was in the house, and they were talking. She kissed him and was leaning against his arm. Then he had told her what he was. She didn’t believe him, so he showed her.

When he shifted, she had pulled a dagger out from out of nowhere, a blade dusted with silver. She cut him, and Bog could still feel the burning sensation on his arm. He had submitted unable to fight her. The dream ended when he awoke, the image freshly in his mind of that dagger lifted in the air above him.

There was absolutely no way he was going to tell her. It was not necessary. Of all the things he could show her, the absolute most dangerous would be what he was, and she did not need to know that secret. Bog glanced at his clock and saw it was 6am. He tossed his blanket aside and staggered to his bathroom to shower and get ready. He needed to get that last image out of his head, and while he would usually just sit there for a few minutes to adjust to waking up, he felt a nice cold shower would be just the shock he needed.

-=-=-=-=-

Marianne was nervous as she left the house before her father was up. She had left him a note reminding him that she and Dawn were going shopping and then watching fireworks with friends tonight. If he needed to reach them, he had their phone numbers. Dawn was a mixture of giddiness and worry as she bounced into the passenger seat of Marianne’s BMW sedan.

The white sedan would be too easy to follow, so Marianne had a plan. She hadn’t told Dawn anything beyond they were invited to Blackwood for the Independence day celebration, and they would be staying all day. She also stressed that Dawn was to tell no one where they were going.

“So, what are you going to do when you see Bog?” Dawn set her phone down and looked at her sister, curiously. “Sunny said he was upset.”

“I don’t know.” Marianne shrugged, checking her mirrors. There was a car possibly following them. “What should I do?”

“You’re the big sister, you’re supposed to know this stuff.” Dawn smiled cheerfully. “But if I were you, first, I would scold him for lying to you.”

“Kinda already did.”

“Then I would hug him and tell him I forgive him.”

“Yeah, I don’t think Bog’s going to want me touching him.”

“Do it anyway.”

Marianne cringed. “Dawn. He’s mad at me right now.”

“So?”

“He’s prickly enough when he’s NOT mad.”

Dawn stared at Marianne sadly, then she whispered gently. “Marianne. Bog likes you. Sunny says he’s really weird around you.”

“Well, I ruined that.” Marianne glanced at Dawn, wishing she would drop the conversation.

“Just because you have a fight doesn’t mean it’s the end.”

“Dawn, please stop. I don’t want to talk about him right now.”

“But you’re putting an awful lot of work into seeing a guy you don’t want to talk about.” Dawn was visibly confused. She fiddled with her phone, pondering what to ask Sunny. Dawn wanted to help her sister.

“Dawn. I will explain it to you when I tell daddy.”

-=-=-=-=-

Bog sat on the steps of his house in his usual work clothes at just after 7 am when he saw a strange vehicle pulling into his driveway. He stood up to go tell whoever it was driving the jeep to turn around and leave. He stopped halfway there when he recognized the occupants.

Dawn bounced out of the jeep and ran up to him. She grabbed him in a playful hug around the waist before he could do anything about it. She almost knocked him down with her enthusiasm. “Good morning, Boggy!”

“Bogdan.” He sighed and just let it happen. Sunny would be here soon.

“Good morning, Bog.” Marianne joined them, and Bog noted she was dressed for hiking. Tshirt, ball cap, hair pulled into a short ponytail, bright pink t-shirt with a spastic rainbow kitten on it, and jean shorts that went past her knees. She had finished her outfit with a good quality pair of tan hiking boots that looked like they had actually seen some use.

“New car?” Bog motioned to the jeep.

“Took it for a test drive.” Marianne grinned. “I have it until tomorrow. Best way to slip the guys who were trying to follow me. They probably thought I was looking at something more girly.”

“I approve.” Bog nodded with a slight smile. Clever girl. Sunny pulled the Blackwood Tavern golf cart up to the house a moment later. “Marianne. I need yer help. Dawn, ye can ride back down with Sunny and have some breakfast. We’ll be down in a bit.”

“Bog.” Sunny gave his brother a curious look as they crossed paths. “What are you doing?”

“Don’t ye worry about it, Sunny.” Bog kept walking to the cart. He pulled a huge thermal food bag off of the seat and handed it to Marianne. She looked at him questioningly as Dawn hopped into the front seat. The bag wasn’t hefty and seemed to have a large box in it that was a foot tall and two feet wide. Bog removed a second bag from the cart along with a massive bottle of maple syrup. “Follow me, Marianne.”

Marianne had to jog to keep up with Bog as he headed around the side of the house. Sunny watched for a moment from the driver’s seat with Dawn bouncing next to him. He knew what they were going to do, but couldn’t figure out why. Sunny hoped that Bog really did know what he was doing as he shifted the cart into reverse, backed it up then turned around to drive back to the tavern.

-=-=-=-=-

“Do not run. Do not stare at them in the eyes. Keep near me.” Bog went down a list of rules as Marianne caught up to him. “Do what I do and keep yer hands to yerself.” They didn’t walk far, just to the back of the house beyond the hedge. Marianne wasn’t sure what to expect as Bog stopped at a little table and set his bag and the maple syrup on the table. He took Marianne’s bag, then opened them one at a time to pull out a sizeable hotbox from each of them. Bog opened both of them to reveal they were stuffed full of freshly cooked waffled. He unscrewed the syrup bottle and began liberally dumping syrup over the waffles.

“Do what I do,” Bog repeated, looking Marianne directly in the eye. He stood in front of the box and called out, “Breakfast!” Marianne gasped as the area around them came alive. What she had thought were just large rocks or piles of dirt shifted and rose into the forms of at least half a dozen goblins. They were all different sizes. The largest was shorter than Bog but taller than she was. They converged on the table and moved to stand in front of Bog, their mouths opening and closing to reveal a vast array of razor-sharp teeth.

“Brutus.” Bog motioned to Marianne. “Apologize.” One of the larger goblins that had been standing in the back obediently came forward. He was looking down as he hobbled forward, opening and closing his clawed hands.

“I wasn’t going to eat you.” The goblin wouldn’t look at Marianne, his eyes fixed on Bog. “Sorry about hurting you.” He glanced at Marianne with an almost sheepish look, and then she saw the nasty scar she left on his face.

“I was startled. I’m sorry about hitting you with fire.” It was all Marianne could think to say. Brutus touched his face, and Bog reached into the box behind him. He pulled out a waffle dripping in syrup.

“Yeah, and I’m sorry it happened at all.” Bog threw the waffle at the goblin, who gleefully opened his mouth and caught it. He swallowed it whole and licked at the syrup that was now dripping around his mouth. “Marianne.” Bog gestured to the box behind her.

“Oh!” She turned quickly, retrieved a waffle, and threw it at Brutus’ mouth. He caught it, smiled, and then moved aside as the other goblins began stepping forward.

“Throw them. Do not try to give the waffles to them. They sometimes forget there are hands attached.” Bog tossed another waffle, and Marianne did the same to another goblin. “These goblins have a job. They guard the forest borders. This clan guards my home, and they are always here. There are other families out right now doing this too. They’ll eat anything, but they have a sweet tooth.”

Marianne found what she saw surreal. She was actually feeding a pack of orderly goblins waffles saturated in syrup. Despite their appearance, the goblins didn’t see that vicious at all. She noticed that while the adults would squabble over a carelessly tossed waffle, they made sure their young got more than they did.

“The little ones were born this last winter.” Bog knelt down to hold out a large waffle to one of the much smaller goblins. “They hibernate and give birth like bears, but only once every five years. It’s been a couple of years since there were this many.” Marianne counted them. There were only three of them.

“Do you keep records?” Marianne asked curiously.

“I keep track of them all.” Bog nodded. “We need to know if there’s a problem, so there are rangers who live out in the forest with them and keep constant track of the populations. Go ahead. Take pictures, Marianne.”

Marianne held her hands out to Bog. “Little too sticky to touch my camera or my clothes, Bog.”

“There’s wet napkins in the bags.” Bog motioned to the pockets on the outside of the bag.

Marianne cleaned her hands off and pulled out her phone to take a few pictures, but only a few. She couldn’t help but be a little worried about the goblins if the photographs fell into the wrong hands. Dawn had assured her it was secure, but Marianne was still concerned.

Bog put the empty boxes on the ground, and several goblins converged on them and began eating the syrup-soaked cardboard. “Great trash compactors.” Bog retrieved the empty bottle of syrup and the two thermal bags. “We’re done now, Marianne. I need to get down to the tavern for breakfast. Did ye eat this morning?”

“No.” Marianne grimaced. “I wasn’t hungry, but now I am.”

“Great. There’s a pancake and waffle breakfast buffet down in the tavern.” Bog glanced aside, then added with an embarrassed look. “Please ignore my mother. She’s crazy.”

-=-=-=-=-

The tavern was packed with people eating stacks of pancakes and fruit covered waffles. There was a line out the door of people waiting to get in and most of the picnic tables outside the tavern were occupied.

Zelda had made sure there was a table for two left in the tavern for Bog and Marianne - so she could keep an eye on them. She chastised Bog when she saw he had only ordered a glass of orange juice for breakfast and had a stack of pancakes brought out to him. Marianne had a waffle with chocolate and bacon crumbles on it.

Bog picked at his food, taking a bite here and there to satisfy his mother. He knew she was constantly walking by to check on them. Somehow she managed to refrain from talking to them for more than a few minutes.

Marianne finished her waffle before Bog had finished one of his pancakes. She felt a little bad. She assumed that he didn’t have an appetite because of her and what she had done. He wouldn’t look at her and she wasn’t sure if she should try to get his attention. Even if she got his attention, she wasn’t sure what to say.

“Wait here.” Bog suddenly got up and took her empty plate and his mostly full one. He returned a few minutes later with a backpack slung over his shoulder. “Let’s go. We have a lot to do.” Marianne followed him out of the diner and directly into the nearby woods.

Bog led the way in silence. It was a little eerie. They had walked for almost half an hour when Bog asked her a question. “Do ye know how to ride a horse?”

“Yes?” Marianne looked at Bog curiously.

“Good.” He was quiet for the next few minutes, then they stepped into a field that had a large barn and an attached pasture with a herd of at least twenty small golden haired highland cattle. Two horses had been left tied to the fence where they came out. One was dappled grey. The other was a buckskin. Bog walked to the grey, which was considerably taller than the buckskin. He took off his backpack and secured it to the back of the saddle, then motioned to Marianne to take the other horse.

“I was twelve the last time I rode a horse.” Marianne squeaked.

“It’s like riding a bike.” Bog mounted his horse with ease. “And that’s a good gelding. He’s just going to follow me.”

Marianne sighed and looked at the horse. She managed to mount it in one try, then realized she hadn’t unhitched it from the fence. Bog moved his horse beside hers and did it for her without a word.

After twenty minutes of following Bog’s horse down a narrow path away from the pasture, Marianne couldn’t take it anymore. She was sure no one was around to hear them so she urged her horse to walk next to Bog’s. The horse trotted past him instead. She heard Bog make an amused grunting sound. Marianne reigned it back until she was close enough that she could see Bog’s face. He looked deeply worried and concerned and wasn’t trying to hide it.

“Bog?”

“Yes?”

“How mad are you at me?”

“I’m not mad at ye.”

“But you’re not going to talk to me?”

“I will when I have something to say.”

“So you’re mad at me?”

“I am not mad at ye, Marianne.” Bog’s reply came out more harshly than he intended. “Drop it.”

“I’m not a dog.”

“I know yer not. Stop talking to me.” Bog kicked his horse to get it into a faster trot. Marianne’s horse automatically fell in behind it.

  
==========

**Edited excerpt for comparison and because this is SO BRIEF, and I changed so much. And I went back and replaced Goblin with Troll, because I realized the larger goblins really are more troll like, but there are small goblins a s well.**

“The little ones were born last winter.” Bog kneeled down to hold out a waffle to one of the much smaller trolls. “They hibernate and give birth like bears, but only once every five years. It’s been a few years since there were this many.” Marianne counted them. There were only three of them. “I published a book under a pseudonym on trolls a decade ago, based on my observations to teach people how to handle them without wiping them out. They are misunderstood creatures.”

“Do you keep records on them?” asked Marianne curiously.

“I keep track of everyone.” Bog nodded. “We need to know if there’s a problem, so rangers live out in the forest with them and keep constant track of the populations. Go ahead, take your pictures, Marianne ”

Marianne held her hands out to him. “Little too sticky to touch my camera or my clothes, Bog.”

“There are wet napkins in the bags.” He motioned to the zipped pockets on the bags, tossing more waffles. The trolls squeaked and grunted excitedly, carrying on conversations in their own language.

Marianne cleaned her hands and pulled a small digital camera out of her bag to take a few pictures, but only a few. She couldn’t help but be a little worried about the trolls if the photographs fell into the wrong hands. After meeting them, her prior notions abruptly changed. They weren’t beautiful creatures at first glance, but they had their own majesty in raw physical power. The babies were cute in a baby Yoda way.

It was Joy who suggested using a digital camera over a phone, so they had full control over the images. Marianne only took one picture of the adults and three of the young ones. As she did, she noticed something peculiar about them. They didn’t have any teeth.

“Bog, why don’t the little ones have teeth?” Marianne put the camera back in her bag.

“They nurse until they are just over a year old.” Bog put the empty boxes on the ground, and several trolls converged on them and began eating the syrup-soaked cardboard. “Great trash compactors.”

“Nurse? They drink milk?” Eyeing the adults, Marianne could not figure out which were male and which were female. They looked the same to her, devoid of any secondary sex characteristics.

Bog chuckled, picking up the empty bottle of syrup and one of the thermal bags to put into the second bag. “I detail it in my book, as well as how to tell males from females. Everything is inside until it’s needed as a survival adaption. Males have smooth ears, and the females’ ears are fringed.” He motioned to Marianne to follow him again. “We’re done now, Marianne. Did ye eat this morning?”

“No.” Marianne grimaced. “I wasn’t hungry, but now I am.”

“There’s a pancake and waffle breakfast buffet down in the Tavern.” Bog glanced aside, then added with an embarrassed look. “Please ignore my mother. She’s crazy.”


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog takes Marianne out on the most uncomfortable sight seeing picnic ever....

It was half an hour later when they rode over a small rise, and Bog swung his arm out and whispered, “Whoa.” Marianne stopped her horse next to Bog to see what it was that he was looking at. “Just watch.”

Marianne squinted and saw there was a herd of horses in the field. There were seven of them. Four adults and three foals. They were typical horse colors, bay, palomino, black and brown. But there was something odd about them. Their limbs were longer and more elegant than a horse. Their ears were large and round. They were also hairier than a horse should be with feathering that ran up the back of both hind and front legs from the hoof to the shoulder and hip. Then one turned and swung its head up, showing off a three-foot-long ivory horn.

“Unicorns?” Marianne stared at them.

“Just one of the many variations. Familiarsis feralis living in the wild.” Bog urged his horse forward slowly. “Keep yer eyes open, Marianne.” As they walked, more and more creatures came into view. There were jackalopes in the grass with antlers like deer. A single feathery winged snake fled into the air ahead of them. Strange birds with lizard tails, rabbits with small sets of wings, and a fox that had a fiery aura emerged from the grass and gave them a quick look, then went on with his business.

A single horse was standing further away that was solid black with a flaming mane and tail that wasn’t igniting the area around it. A herd of antelope exploded further away taking to the air in impossibly high leaps. They had wings that propelled them even higher. Marianne was sure she saw a pair of lion sized gryphons reclining on a rock outcropping further away.

“Why are they here?” Marianne turned to Bog in astonishment. These creatures were highly sought after.

“Not everyone wants to be a pet, Marianne.” Bog replied, reigning his horse to a stop next to a brook so it could get a drink. A huge golden-red creature rose up out of the brook, making his horse back up and snort. “Careful there.” The beast was lying in the middle of the brook, and its head rose six feet off the ground. It was a dragon with a heavily scaled head and massive twining horns. The scales were a deep velvety red, and where they caught the sunlight, they glowed with a golden satin sheen.

“Bog.” The dragon snorted and shook his head, sending a spray of water into the air. He then angled his head toward Marianne. “Who’s the lass?” His voice was deep and gravelly like one would expect a dragon to sound like.

“Marianne.” Bog replied as the dragon’s green eyes fixed on her.

Marianne’s horse took a step back, and Marianne found her eyes locked on the dragon’s, unable to look away. The dragon was doing something to her, and Bog was watching intently. She didn’t like it, but couldn’t stop it.

“That’s enough, Korrin.” Bog moved his horse between Marianne and the dragon to break the gaze. “Marianne, ye should know better than to look into a dragon’s eyes.”

The dragon heaved forward and stood, massive leathery wings billowing out in a proud stretch. “Yer no fun, Bog.” The dragon snorted. “She’s a good Arcadian if that’s what ye wanted ta know.”

Marianne gave Bog a dirty look figuring out what the dragon had done. The dragon then laughed, his great eyes twinkling as he looked from Bog to Marianne. “Marianne, he’s a good lad.” Korrin chuckled, and Marianne got the impression that he was speaking about Bog like one would refer to a dog. “I was goin’ ta spend tha night out ‘ere, but I think I’ll return ta town instead an see what sorta fireworks go off t’ night. See ye there, Bog and Marianne.”

Marianne looked from the dragon to Bog, then back at the dragon, who was now walking away from them. “What did he mean by that?”

“Dragons can take human form. They come out here to relax, most of the time like that. But they also show up in town. They spend a lot of money to come to a place they can be themselves without fear of being hunted.” Bog explained turning his horse away from the stream. “They can see into yer soul as a dragon.”

“You could have warned me!” Marianne’s horse followed.

“Ye would stare into the eyes of a dragon just to see if ye could resist it.” Bog kicked his horse into a gallop.

Marianne scowled after him as her horse jumped, and she almost fell off. It galloped after him. Bog was right. If he had told her, she would have dared that dragon and ended up with the same result.

Bog brought his horse to a stop a few minutes later in a shady spot under a large grouping of massive trees with limbs that sprawled out wildly. He dismounted and was taking the backpack off the saddle by the time Marianne reached him.

“We’re having lunch here.” Bog opened the backpack and pulled out a blanket. He spread it out over the ground and missed Marianne dismounting from her horse, losing her balance and falling on her butt. He glanced back at the sound and smiled a little. “Yer going to hurt in the morning.”

“Yay. Looking forward to it.” Marianne grumbled as she tried to pick herself up. Her legs were like jelly, and she just wanted to sit on a seat that didn’t involve bouncing up and down.

Bog sat on one side of the blanket, removing the rest of the contents of the bag. He held out a cold bottled root beer to Marianne and was surprised when she took it and sat down next to him. Bog left a spot on the opposite side of the blanket free for her.

“What are we having for lunch?” Marianne eagerly looked at the containers Bog set out.

“My mom’s pecan, apple, blue cheese, chicken salad sandwiches.” Bog motioned to the larger container, then he shot Marianne a concerned glance. “Ye aren’t allergic to nuts, are ye?”

“Deathly allergic.” Marianne’s serious reply took Bog off guard, and she regretted it. The look on his face was of a man that was completely crushed by not thinking about something so simple before bringing her all the way out here. “Bog.” Marianne lifted her hand and reached for his face. She stopped and withdrew. “I’m not allergic to anything.”

“Oh. I’m sorry I didn’t realize ye were joking.” Bog turned away quickly. Why was she sitting next to him? “There’s grapes, cheese, and a couple pieces of pie.”

Marianne took a sandwich and couldn’t get rid of the growing sense of shame she had for the position she had put Bog in. This was her fault. Her insistence on knowing led to this, and she wasn’t happy about it. What Bog was protecting was amazing. She understood why he didn’t want anyone knowing about it. Greedy hunters would flock here to capture the rare familiarsis. A family was lucky to have one of these creatures. The Kings had two small ones and bred Hellhounds, which were highly sought after. Bog had hundreds of them, and he and his family could have made a fortune off of them, but instead, they chose to let them run free.

Marianne leaned against Bog and felt him tense up.

“Please don’t do that, Marianne.” Bog lowered his head and spoke softly. Marianne shifted away from him, placing her hands in her lap and sighing.

“This isn’t what I wanted.”

“What did you want, Bog?”

“Not this.” Bog grumbled and threw his sandwich off to the side. He got up and began packing what remained of their lunch away.

“Hey. I’m not done.” Marianne rolled to her knees and grabbed Bog’s arm. “Your mother put a lot of time into this.” Bog pulled away and sat back down, folding his arms and sulking. Marianne straightened the blanket and pulled the containers closer.

“You need to eat something, Bog. You barely had any breakfast.”

“Ye sound like my mother.” Bog grumbled in response. He leaned forward and retrieved a grape, then made a show of putting it in his mouth and chewing it… for a very long time.

“Bog, I’ve decided that I want to come back here when this all blows over.”

Bog sat upright. “Ye can’t.” Then he doubled over gripping his chest.

“Bog!” Marianne leaped to her feet and put her arms around Bog’s shoulders, trying to see what was happening. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Bog tried to push her away. “It will pass. Ye are not helping!”

-=-=-=-=-

The ride back was long, mostly because Bog didn’t want to talk. Marianne tried several times to start a conversation and he would not respond. When they reached Bog’s home, he took the bits and bridals off the horses, tied them to the saddles, and told them to go home. He still wouldn’t speak to Marianne.

She followed him sadly across the backyard and inside his home. Bog opened the door for her, but would not look at her. Once inside, he walked straight through the house and to the front door. He opened them again, waited for Marianne to walk by him, then just stood in the doorway, holding the door open. Now he was staring at her unsure of what to say or do.

“Bog?” Marianne stood in front of him. “I know you don’t trust me, but I’m not going to tell anyone what you showed me. I’ll deal with Roland myself.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Bog averted his eyes. “Stay away from Roland. He’s just going to hurt ye.”

“Nope. Not leaving.” She made a decision. Marianne pushed past a startled Bog and ran back inside his house.

“What?!” Bog chased after her. “Ye need to go!”

Marianne ran back through the house and out the back door. Bog realized she was heading back into the forest and raced after her in a panic. “No, Marianne! Don’t go out there!” While he was sure the goblins wouldn’t do anything to her after seeing her with him, he wasn’t sure where she was going with this.

“You invited me up to watch fireworks, and it’s not night yet!” Marianne yelled back at Bog as she crossed the back yard and into the short maze. She came out the other side well ahead of Bog even though he knew the way better. In his hurry, he had tripped and ended up face first in one of the thick bushes that made up the maze walls.

Marianne burst out of the maze and ran down the path that Bog had taken her the first time she had been here. It only took her a few minutes to get up the hill to where she had seen the gazebo. That’s where she was headed. Marianne slowed when she got closer and passed the remains of what had once been a picnic table. She passed by seven such piles and slowed to a walk when she reached the gazebo.

There was a single intact picnic table near the gazebo that looked like it had been taken care of. Marianne climbed up onto it and sat on the tabletop where she could see Bog trudging up the hill toward her. He was stalking more than walking, hunched over slightly with his hands held tightly at his side in fists. He walked to the picnic table and stood in front of her, hands on his hips.

“Now yer just trespassing.” Bog glared, and Marianne smiled sweetly back.

“An hour.” Marianne motioned to the darkening sky. They had been out all day and evening was coming.

“Please, Marianne.” Bog dropped his arms and stared at her, pleading with his eyes. “It’s time for ye to go and never come back here.” He winced but remained standing. She saw him muttering something and press his hand to his chest.

“Do you have heart disease?” That would explain a lot.

Bog rolled his eyes in response. “Only around ye.” He grumbled, then made a face.

“What?” That was a confusing way to respond to the question. Marianne tilted her head to one side, staring at Bog in a way that made him uncomfortable. “What do you mean? That’s not how it works.”

“Fiiiiine.” Bog grumbled more and sat down on the picnic table next to Marianne. She automatically leaned against him and Bog just let it happen since it immediately caused the shooting pains in his chest to stop. For now. “Until the fireworks are over.”

“Thank you, Bog.” Marianne’s voice dropped as she searched for a way she could to make this right. The more time she had spent with him, the more she wanted to spend with him even as he continually pushed her away. The thought of never seeing him again hurt.

“Yer going to drive some lucky man to his grave at a young age.” Bog suddenly stated.

“Not likely.” Marianne laughed. “I’m too girly to hang with hunters and like alchemy too much for non-hunters. I kinda like making things blow up.”

Bog laughed. “Why does that not surprise me.” Marianne smiled and sat up to utter an equation. She held her hand out manipulating her fingers in exactly the right way to form a small crystal clear orb about two inches in diameter. Inside she created a flicker of blue flame that was the same color as Bog’s eyes. Bog watched curiously as she added a small curve on top to form a loop, then she created a length of black cord and slid it through the loop.

“This is from just me.” Marianne held it out to Bog and he accepted it, rolling it through his fingers in thought. “I promise it won’t explode. It’s just art.”

“It’s beautiful.” Bog glanced at Marianne, and then he added in a teasing voice, “Why didn’t you make my boutonniere like that?”

“I’m not good at flowers.” Marianne winced but was still smiling. Bog put the necklace on and smiled back at Marianne, then he reached down into the grass and pulled up a handful along with a small stone. He was going to one-up her.

Now it was Marianne’s turn to watch as he took the stone and began manipulating it, muttering his own equation. Chunks and chips of rock fell off the stone as it took on a circular shape, then it started to glow with a warm golden light. It was the same size as Marianne’s gift, but Bog put something extra into it, making it glow softly, then he began twining the grass around it. What was once grass turned into fine strands of copper. Bog finished it with copper blades of grass and a bud of some sort rising from the top. Then he set it on his knee so he could use both hands to begin forming an ornate chain. He wasn’t going for simple, and all those evenings of studying were not going to waste.

When he was done, he slipped the pendant on the chain and dangled it in front of Marianne. She was completely taken aback. It glowed with an inner light. She held out her hands, and Bog laid it down gently.

“It’s a healing stone. It’s not just art.” Bog genuinely smiled at the look of appreciation on Marianne’s face as she gazed at his gift. “This is the equation to activate it if ye need it. You’ll close your hand on it when ye say it, so it’s safe to practice as long as yer not holding it.” Marianne paid close attention. Bog only had to repeat the simple words a couple of times before Marianne got them right.

“Can you put it on?” Marianne held the necklace out to Bog and he obliged, dropping it over her head and joining the clasps. The necklace was not long so that it fell high over her chest. “Thank you, Bog.” Then she eyed his neck and grinned even wider. Before he could stop her, Marianne’s fingers had traveled beneath his collar, and she had snagged the cord to the shark tooth necklace. She pulled it out and laughed as it fell against her orb. “Are you going to wear two necklaces all the time now?”

Bog’s face flushed red. “I. Er. Yes?” He glanced away and began fidgeting with his hands.

Marianne turned her attention back to the necklace admiring the delicate metalwork. She would never be able to manage such fine details. She slowly shifted her gaze to Bog, staring at him in realization. “You healed me so I wouldn’t die from the goblin attack.”

“I did.” Bog admitted keeping his eyes off of her. “I hoped nobody would notice. If I hadn’t, ye would have bled out or suffocated before the ambulance came.”

“Dad noticed. I think that’s why he didn’t try to come up here. He knew someone healed me. He uh, he wasn’t going to do anything until Roland started putting suggestions into his head.”

“What are ye going to do about him?”

“Get him out of my life entirely. Somehow.”

“I’d offer to let him into my backyard to play with the goblins, but I’m afraid he would give them indigestion.” Bog stated with half seriousness. “And ye don’t want to see goblins with indigestion.”

“No. I want to keep him as far from here as possible.”

“Me too.”

Marianne and Bog were silent for a moment. The sky darkened, and they would be walking back in complete darkness by the time the fireworks ended.

“You were the wolf. You are a Lycean.” Bog’s blood ran cold, and a tremor ran through his body as Marianne spoke. “It all makes sense.”

“Yes.” Bog exhaled heavily.

A crashing sound coming from the direction of the house sent Bog to his feet in alarm. Then the air was filled with goblin roars and a shrill wail. Bog glanced at Marianne, eyes narrowing in suspicion. He had spent the entire day with her. She had run up here away from the house, drawing him away from it and his duties. He had been distracted the whole day by HER.

“What is it?” Marianne was looking in the direction of the house, but her words went unheard as Bog grabbed the necklaces and pulled them off with a snarl. “Bog!”

Bog threw them down at Marianne’s feet and growled a warning in mid-shift, then he bolted down the hillside, going from bipedal to all fours in seconds. Marianne stared after him, stunned for the moment. He was really a giant black wolf, and judging by the sudden shift in his size, he was more than that. Whatever was going on, she had to see if she could help. Marianne knelt and picked up the necklaces then raced after Bog.

-=-=-=-=-=

This scene was extended in the rewrite. :D Editing the names since this was SUPPOSED to be the Strange Magic version, not my renamed version to avoid confusion. I knew I was going to make this error somewhere.

“Oh.” Marianne’s face scrunched up in thought, then her cheeks turned red, and she turned away. “When you said I could have had you, you meant it.” Her eyes widened.

“Ye drew me to ye the first day I saw ye, which was wrong, and I fought it every inch of the way.” Bog ran a hand over his chest. “Marianne, I don’t know if my Lycean senses could tell what was going on in yer relationship wasn’t real or something was wrong, but it hurt me. It’s not supposed to hurt, and I thought something was wrong with me. Still not sure if there’s not something wrong.”

“Deep down inside, I’m pretty sure I knew Roland wasn’t right for me. He never wanted me to be me. Everything he did and said was an attempt to change and control me,” Marianne sighed, then smiled at Bog. “But I’m stubbornly loyal when I believe I’m right.”

“I like ye the way ye are, princess.” Bog smiled back. “If ye want to come back and go on dates and things like that, I want ye too, but ye have to respect my no kissing on the mouth rule.”

“That’s a weird rule.” Marianne smirked. “Because I want to kiss you.”

“It’s a Lycean thing,” grumbled Bog.

“About that, I need to tell you something.” Marianne smiled and opened her mouth to say something more, but didn’t get any further.

A loud boom came from Laird Hall, shaking the trees and sending Bog to his feet in alarm. Troll roars and shrieking wails filled the air. He glanced at Marianne, eyes narrowing in suspicion, realizing he spent the entire day with her. She ran up here away from the house, drawing him away from it, upwind, where he wouldn’t hear or see anyone coming. This day had been planned for weeks, plenty of time to set up a plan to trap him, and she distracted him for the entire day.

“What is going on, Bog?” Marianne stood beside him, looking in the house’s direction.

With a growl, Bog grabbed the necklaces, pulling them hard enough to snap the cords. He tossed them at Marianne’s feet and turned away, breaking into a run down the hillside. Shocked, she stared at the discarded necklaces, then looked up to see Bog ignore the path and shifting from bipedal to all fours in seconds. In moments, he shifted from a man to a massive black wolf, far bigger than a normal wolf, taller than the horse he rode on earlier in the day.

“Oh, no, Bog,” Marianne kneeled, retrieving the necklaces to pocket them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only five chapters left. :D  
I'm doing my second pass of edits on this one and before I'm done, I'll have a print copy. :D  
Poor 'betrayed' Bog.  
BTW, Bog not eating for most of the day is going to come back and haunt him over the next 24 hours. :(


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Errors are made, so many awful errors.

Stupid. Stupid! He was a fool! Bog raced down the hill, past several goblins who were trying to get the young ones away from the house. Then he saw the hunters. There were a dozen of them, each outfitted in heavy gear with a high powered rifle in hand. There were silencers on the barrels. Bog didn’t hesitate as he slammed into the first hunter. His teeth sunk through layers of armor plating with a satisfying crunch on the man’s shoulder and arm. He swung his head like a dog with a soft toy and sent the man crying out in pain into the darkness.

“Get out of here!” Bog snarled at the remaining goblins trying to work out a way to get to the hunters. He was on to the second hunter, smacking a third and fourth away with his fore-paws. While he was bouncing from one man to another, Bog caught the smell of smoke. His concerns immediately went to Sunny and his mother. Were they in the house? Where was his family? He couldn’t feel that they were in danger, and he would know if they were.

Shots were being fired at him, and a few grazed him. One struck him in the side, but they were mere annoyances. Bog ran toward the house and caught a glimpse of a smirking face framed with golden hair pointing at him. Beside him stood Lucas King, who was holding a sword and looking at Bog with what could only be described as a look of pure hate.

“I was right!” Roland crowed motioning to Bog as he cleared the hedge maze in one leap. “I bet that’s Bog right there, and he has Marianne held captive somewhere around here!”

-=-=-=-=- 

Bog found himself alone in his backyard, staring up at his home. The fire was visibly licking the windows, and smoke was seeping out from under the eaves. He froze, staring in horror. He had to find Sunny and his mother. Bog took one step forward, and then the world exploded in blinding pain.

The hunters changed their ammunition. Bog went down. It only took one bullet in the right place, and Roland was walking toward him, holding a pistol aimed at Bog, ready to fire again. Bog didn’t move, calculating his next move. The silver bullet was lodged in his left shoulder just below the skin. The pain was already subsiding, and because of his thick fur and the darkness, Roland wouldn’t know where he had hit him.

Roland switched guns and smiled. “You’re going to be fun to play with, Bog. I told you that you would regret coming between Marianne and me.” He fired and then scowled as the massive wolf was no longer down. The dart landed harmlessly in the ground.

“Ye coward!” Bog roared at Roland as he fled around the side of the house. “Leave!” Bog ran around to the front of the house, searching the windows. There were a few lights on, but it didn’t look like his mother or Sunny were at the house. The golf cart wasn’t parked in front, and there were four huge black vans in the driveway. Bog turned back into the woods. He needed to check the Tavern. If his family was safe, then he could double back and take care of the invaders.

-=-=-=-=- 

Marianne saw the goblins run past her and counted them, looking specifically for the three children among them. She saw five total, but it was two adults carrying the three children with them. The other goblins could have gone another direction. Then Marianne stumbled over the first body. It was one of the large ones, and judging by the number of holes in his body, he died quickly.

“Bog!” Marianne stopped running and called into the darkness. She was met with multiple blinding lights as flashlights were turned her direction. “Don’t shoot me!” She yelled. If it was what she thought, she wasn’t the target. 

“Marianne!” She heard her father’s voice in the darkness, and then she saw him jogging toward her. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

“Dad.” Marianne stared at him dumbly. Roland, she expected. Her own father? “Dad! You have to stop them! He didn’t do anything!”

“Still under his spell.” Roland shook his head as he joined her father. “Come on, Marianne.” He took her arm and pulled her forcefully with him. “You’re safe now, Buttercup.” Marianne fought against him, but he was much stronger than she was.

“Let me go, Roland!” Then she smelled the smoke. “What did you do?” She stumbled and stared dumbly ahead at the rising flames traveling over the Laird’s home.

“He’ll come for her.” Roland glanced at Lucas. “Then, we’ll take him out.”

“He’s NOT coming for me!” Marianne began fighting him again. She wasn’t going to go willingly.

“I don’t want you using Marianne for bait.” Her father intervened, his hand landing on Roland’s shoulder. “Let her go.”

“She’s just going to warn him, then he might get away.” Roland stared Lucas directly in the eye. And it failed.

“Let go of Marianne. You’re hurting her.” Lucas tightened his grip on Roland’s shoulder, glaring at him.

-=-=-=-=-

Bog was relieved when he saw people spilling out of the Tavern. Someone smelled the smoke, and now people were leaving to get a good look at what was going on. Among them, he saw his mother, Sunny, and Dawn. His mother had worriedly started toward the forest short cut. She was going to look for him. Bog sat and reached for his shoulder, uttering quick words and concentrating on getting the bullet out of his shoulder. He couldn’t shift while it was there, and it also disrupted his ability to do alchemy. 

Zelda worriedly ran up to him just as he got the bullet removed. He tossed the silver lump aside and shifted immediately, healing the hole in his shoulder and then regenerating his clothing.

“Bog! What’s going on?” Zelda had tears of worry in her eyes as she grabbed him in a hug.

“There are hunters at the house. They burned it down. Ye and Sunny need to stay here where it’s safe. They won’t come for ye.” Bog shook his head in thought.

“What are you going to do?” Zelda questioned. “Where is Marianne? Is she okay?”

“It’s her father and ex who just set our home on fire.” Bog growled. 

“Bog, it’s just a house, please, come into the Tavern. We’ll figure out a way to fix this.” His mother pulled on his arm, trying to get him to join them. For a moment, he considered it, then he heard multiple footsteps coming their way down the path from the house. 

“Go, Mom!” Bog shifted back into his more hybrid form, turning to face the hunters. He moved to stand in front of his mother, who was shouting something. Bog was too focused on one direction to see it coming. A dart struck him in the chest, and then he saw the silver ropes glinting in the hands of the oncoming hunters. Suddenly, he was tired. Bog wobbled and made a futile leap to one side. He crashed into a tree and fought with his legs. 

Bog was able to get a few feet further before he collapsed. He could hear shouting and was aware of hunters converging on him. They wrapped the silver ropes around his muzzle and neck. They stung everywhere they touched skin. He couldn’t do anything but watch in horror. His body was fighting the sedative, but just a few minutes was all they needed to bind him completely. 

He saw his mother trying to stop them, but they just picked her up and moved her. Bog whined and began struggling, trying to work his way loose. People were talking and yelling around him, and he heard sirens. Then he heard Sunny shrieking, “Dawn!”

More voices were shouting, “No, Dawn!” That sounded like Lucas and Marianne. For a moment, Bog wondered why they were yelling at Dawn. What was she doing?

Then, Bog’s eyes snapped wide in shock as a very angry looking gold fox Lycean landed in front of him. She grabbed the closest hunter and threw him to the ground with enough force that Bog was sure he had heard bones breaking. 

“You leave him alone!” It was Dawn’s voice coming from the fox, and while she wasn’t as big as Bog, she looked even more vicious as a golden aura surrounded her. A fox? Bog stared. He couldn’t do anything else as the realization sunk in. Dawn was a Lycean. Lucas and Marianne KNEW she was a Lycean and not just any common one, but one even rarer than he was. The walls he had tried to hold firm crashed with that knowledge.

“Well, well, well.” Roland’s gloating voice rose above everyone else’s as he motioned to his men to stand down. “Dawn King is a Lycean?” He turned to look at Lucas, ignoring the angry vixen.

“Dawn,” Lucas spoke mournfully, realizing the full gravity of the situation before anyone else did. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

“They are going to kill Bog!” Dawn snarled fully intent on protecting him. She moved closer to Bog prepared to fight. 

Bog stared at her. This was not a good turn of events, and she needed to run. It was too late for her to do anything to help Bog. She would only endanger herself.

“Run, Dawn.” Bog growled through the ropes struggling to find any chance of escape he could. Dawn ignored him.

“Roland, you can not hurt her. She’s not a danger to anyone!” Lucas began pleading.

“Please, Roland,” Marianne added her voice, glancing from her sister to Roland. He was now smiling at her in the worst way possible. “Don’t hurt them. Let them go.”

“Hmmm.” Roland had the upper hand, and he was going to milk it for everything he could. “I will keep your secret on one condition.” He gestured to Marianne. “We’re getting married tomorrow.”

Marianne made a disgusted face and looked at her father.

“No, Marianne.” Her father put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him. “No.”

“Look, it’s either you have two living daughters, or I report this one. That’s the deal.” Roland lifted his pistol toward Dawn. “Your choice. I walk away with one living Lycean specimen and a wife or what looks like a Rex Regis wolf and an even greater prize, a Rex Regis fox.”

“I’ll do it,” Marianne whispered. “I’ll marry you. For Dawn.”

“Marianne,” Dawn whined. 

“No.” Bog growled. “Leave them alone. Ye came for me.”

“You’re just icing at this point.” Roland smirked down at Bog. 

“You have me, Roland. Please let Bog go. He didn’t do anything to deserve this.” Marianne glanced at Bog and had to look away. Bog stared at her sadly. That one look had told him everything he needed to know. He could feel it. She loved him, and she was trying to help him. No one outside of his own family had ever stood up for him.

“Are you joking?” Roland laughed. “There’s no reason to let a monster like this free. Now, go home and get your things ready, Marianne. I expect you in that gorgeous wedding dress you never got to wear.”

“Dawn.” Lucas motioned to his daughter. “We need to go.” 

“Dad.” Dawn’s ears swung back, and she stared at her father sadly. She looked at Bog and shifted back to her human form, complete with the same clothes she had been wearing before. “I’m sorry, Bog.” She slowly joined her father and Marianne.

“He’s my son!” Zelda suddenly wailed. “You can’t do this!”

“Quiet!” Bog snapped. He needed them to stop drawing attention to their presence. It put them in danger.

Roland took a look at Zelda and Sunny and shrugged, “I assume if you were like him, you would have shifted by now.”

“Leave them alone.” Bog growled. The cords stung when he spoke. “I will let ye do whatever it is that ye want to do with me if ye leave my family and Blackwood alone.”

“Hmm, compliance in exchange for things I don’t need. I accept.” Roland motioned to Bog. “Get him into the crate, and let’s head home.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=  
And part of the rewrite.

Marianne hung back a moment, glaring at Roland, daring him to stop her. She kneeled in front of Bog with Roland looming over her, holding his pistol ready. 

“Don’t try anything foolish, Marianne, he’s mine and so are you.” Roland stood by, observing.

Marianne frowned, running a hand over Bog’s head, whispering she would figure out a way to help him, then mouthing the words, I love you. Bog sighed, knowing better to respond with Roland watching. 

“Don’t hurt him, Roland,” stated Marianne, rising to her feet, walking past him. “I mean it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, of COURSE I could have gone the obvious route of having Marianne be just like Bog, but that was waaaay too likely, so instead, we got DAWN the fierce little werefox! I love that little twist so much. :D
> 
> Hope you enjoy, comments are wonderful!


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A captured Bog has a few good things to cling to, while Lucas King puts his mind on repairing the damage he has contributed to while under Roland's influence.

Marianne cried most of the drive home on her sister’s shoulder. She sat in the very back as far from her father as she could get. Lucas didn’t say a word to her. There was nothing he could say, and he knew it. He had feared something like this might happen since Dawn and Marianne were born. Not the forced wedding. That was completely out of the realm of anything he ever worried about. But the fact that someone would find out about Dawn and use it against the family was always a strong possibility. He had been relieved when Marianne didn’t have any visible signs of her Lycean heritage.

Now, he had to think about how he as going to fix this problem. Roland’s charms were broken, and now Lucas was stuck with the full realization of what that awful man had done and how he had crept in between him and Marianne. He was growing angrier and angrier with each mile, and occasionally his thoughts went to how much he would like to throttle the man. Roland wasn’t worth dirtying his hands with actual murder, and hiring someone to take him out, although a particularly appealing option, wasn’t what Lucas felt comfortable doing.

Roland needed to suffer, and Lucas had a few things in mind that would lead to just that, and all he needed was a lot of cash and the right calls to get it done in a short amount of time. He would fix this entire problem. Marianne would not be forced to marry that monster, and Lucas would also fix the destruction that Roland had wrecked in Blackwood. He couldn’t believe he had stood by and watched as Roland and his men had set the Laird’s home on fire. He stood there and watched them, knowing that it was wrong, and yet he was powerless to stop it.

He had stood there supporting Roland when Bog had emerged as a giant wolf. He had done it, despite knowing one of his own daughters shared his ability. Lucas had been led to believe a lot of lies and hated himself for it. He would make this right and get Bog out of Roland’s hands. He had to make everything right. It was the only thing to do.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Bog found his traveling arrangements painful. He had been put into a crate made of iron with a silver lining. While it was a large crate, it wasn’t meant for a creature as big as he was, and he was forced to continually reposition as he was shifted into the sides and across the floor. He whimpered and whined without control every time his padded fingers or feet touched the silver. The silver ropes were still binding him, limiting his ability to avoid additional pain. Worse was when his nose hit anything. The entire drive was spent like that, and it was exhausting. Bog didn’t want to give anyone sitting outside next to the box any satisfaction that he was hurting, but he couldn’t hold it all back.

Unlike his father and every generation before him, Bog had been raised in a safe, secure place. A place where he never worried about fighting for his life. He had a soft life by comparison, and while he may have spent time wandering the wilds in this form, pain wasn’t something he experienced daily. As a Lycean, he could heal from any injury faster than a human. He had a high pain tolerance, but throwing in silver all around him was an entirely new kind of pain. 

The way that Lyceans used alchemy was different from how people in the other cities used it. It was a part of them. It was how they could effortlessly shift their bodies. Silver had a way of interrupting the flow of energy in their bodies. He could not change because he couldn’t gather up enough energy to fight the amount of silver wrapped around him. He would not heal. He could not do anything but lay there captive.

Bog did have one happy thought. Marianne wouldn’t try to kill him if he got out of this. He smiled, and for a few moments, the pain didn’t bother him. She spoke up for him and had defended him when he couldn’t do anything. She loved him at least a little. Bog wrapped himself in the good parts of their day together and the evening at the ball. It made his situation more tolerable and kept his thoughts from wandering into what Roland would do to him when they got to where ever they were going.

-=-=-=-=-

“Marianne!” Lucas called out after her as he tried to catch up with her before she reached her room. The moment he had stopped the car, Marianne had jumped out and stormed up the steps and into the house. Her father wasn’t nearly as fast and hoped she would stop and listen for a moment. “I believe you!” Marianne stopped at the top of the stairs. “I believe everything you told me, Marianne. Roland lied to me and used me.”

“I know, Dad, but now what? He knows about Dawn. He has Bog!” Marianne wiped a hand across her eyes and then flicked the tears away. She had allowed herself that time, but now she needed to do something.

“Marianne, I need to talk to you about Bog.” Lucas started up the steps to join her. “We are going to have to go about this carefully, but I assure you, Roland is going to go away, and he is not going to harm Bog. He’s too valuable to him. I’m more worried about you than I am about Bog right now.”

“I don’t even want to look at Roland, let alone marry him.” Marianne groaned, following her father to her room. He closed the door behind them and motioned for Marianne to sit on her bed.

“Marianne, I know you like Bog.” Lucas sat down next to his daughter and wrapped an arm around her in a comforting hug. She leaned into it and sighed. “But you need to understand something about Lyceans. I have told both you and your sister about your mother and how we met.”

“She was masquerading as a hunter.” Marianne nodded. “Because she had figured out it was the best way to hide from hunters and vampires. She became one of us.”

“Yes, and the moment she met me, she would not leave me alone. She followed me everywhere, even when it was inconvenient for her. I thought she was crazy, but well, you know how I am.” Lucas stared at his left hand, where he still wore an ornately graven platinum ring. “She pledged her loyalty to me without me wanting or asking for it. She vowed to die for me, and she was so beautiful.” Lucas sighed. “It honestly scared me that she was that forward, but when I asked her to stay away from me, she respected my wishes. It took years of her distant devotion before I realized how much she loved me, and I let her in. She was always there for me. She was patient and was there through numerous doomed relationships I had. She never pushed herself onto me. That isn’t their way. I hurt her a lot during those years.”

“Mom said she loved you so much she was happy to see you happy even if it wasn’t with her,” Marianne whispered, feeling the tears fighting to return.

“That is true love, Marianne.” Lucas squeezed his daughter tightly. “I saw how Bogdan Laird was looking at you at the ball. It scared me because I recognized that look. At the time, I thought he was just a rough-looking man believing he had scored a rare prize, but now, knowing what I do.” Lucas went silent, thinking about how best to word it. “He already loves you even if he denies it. They know who the right person is for them without fail, and they can fight it to a point, but the moment YOU give in, he will have no choice. You will be the one who breaks his heart if you make the wrong choice.

Your mother reached a point where she could not bear to keep her distance, and she tried to end it all. Marianne, Lyceans tell cautionary tales about finding their love with vampires, hunters, and regular humans. They all end the same way in their stories. Eventually, the Lycean has to be truthful and show their Lycean sides, and they are killed for it. They do not fight back. They basically roll over and submit to their love, and they are killed or enslaved.”

Marianne stared at her father for a moment. “But, you didn’t.”

“Of course, I didn’t.” Lucas made a face. “I didn’t know it was her at first, but a werefox groveled in the grass in front of me. When she spoke, expressing her love for me, it sealed the deal. There was no way I could hurt her, and I took her as my wife without hesitation. It’s a little funny that they tell this story, yet there are numerous instances in our family where a lycean has married into the family. That is why our bloodline is so strong.”

Lucas took Marianne’s hand in his own and squeezed gently. “You can tell Bog to leave you alone and never see you again, and I believe he will honor it. If you avoid him, the feeling will fade for him over time. If you don’t, don’t make him go through submitting to you, thinking you might kill him. It’s degrading for such powerful beings. Lyceans are loyal without fault, even if you are not. That is the way they are. If you can not be the same, do not lead him on.”

“Dad. You know me.” Marianne sighed. “Do you really think I would cheat on someone?”

“No, I do not, but you need to understand, when I say loyal, I mean for life and that can be hundreds of years for us. You’re young, and it will be a long time before you truly understand how long that is. You haven’t even known him for that long.” Her father was attempting to lay out the facts, not sway his daughter one way or another.

Marianne’s fingers went to the pendant on her neck. It had a comforting glow and was pleasantly warm against her skin. Bog didn’t say it when he gave it to her, but he had made it out of love. Her gift to him paled in comparison. “Dad.” She whispered. “Please save him. He didn’t do anything to deserve being hunted and trapped. It was all my fault and my stupid plans to make you stop pestering me and get Roland to leave me alone. “

“No, Marianne, that is all on Roland, and now I need to make a lot of phone calls. I want you to get a good night’s sleep. You don’t have to look happy tomorrow, but I want you rested.” Lucas rose to his feet and turned with an anguished look on his face. “I am going to try to put an end to this before the wedding even begins, but I don’t know what time it will be or where it is, and the last thing I want is Roland… consummating the union.”

“I intend to fight him the whole way on that one.” Marianne made a disgusted face. This wasn’t exactly something she even wanted to bring up or be discussing with her father, but the thought had entered her mind that he was going to want to do that as soon as it was official. He had been pushy enough when they were engaged. The thought made her queasy and sick to her stomach. 

“Dad. One more thing.” Marianne remembered one thing that might help and trusted her father’s judgment. “If it helps, use it. If it doesn’t, please forget I ever said this. Blackwood’s forest is full of familiarsis feralis living in the wild. It’s like a giant preserve. Dad, I saw four different species of unicorns, jackalopes, basilisks, gryphons, and they even had a nightmare. I met a dragon today!”

Lucas stared at his daughter in sudden deep thought at the news. “Marianne, that might be more important than you can imagine.”

“I said preserve, not hunting ground,” Marianne stressed.

“I know.” Her father nodded. “I promise you, nothing will be disturbed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ENJOY!


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Bog is in his hands, Roland lets him know just what to expect in his new life as a 'hunting dog' as well as reinforcing what will happen if Bog ever attempts to turn on him.  
Marianne and her family prepare for the forced wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings about mild torture/beating/blood and stuff that goes with it.

Bog was in the middle of a very good dream involving Marianne and a much nicer, happier picnic than the one they had earlier when the door to his crate slid open. He groaned and blinked as harsh light flooded over his face, surprised he had actually fallen asleep. 

It took four men to pull him out of the crate, and they didn’t do it gently. He snarled as hands gripped his thick fur, or the silver ropes tightened in tender places. The constant exposure to the silver was leaving welts of open skin where the fur had completely fallen out. He was aware the contact caused some of the wounds to open, and he was bleeding everywhere.

Bog’s eyes adjusted to the room. It was a small concrete room with silver rods lining every surface. A large cage with an open door took up half of the room. The bars looked like a mix of iron and silver. Dual purpose for holding any manner of Lycean or certain dangerous Familarsis. Bog sighed, his head was positioned purposely so he could see that cage. He assumed that would be his future home. At least it looked big enough that he could stretch out. There was a small thin mattress inside.

“Ok, Bog.” Roland walked around to Bog’s head. He knelt to be closer to him, showing off a very nasty looking dagger in his right hand. “Look at me.” Bog did as he said, but Roland pressed the tip of the blade to his throat anyway, leaving a shallow cut. Bog twitched and curled his lips back to show off his impressively large canines and crooked front teeth.

“Wow, those teeth are even worse in this form.” Roland laughed, jabbing the blade up under Bog’s front lip. He couldn’t help but yelp and squirm. “This is how it’s going to be, Bog. Roland withdrew. “I have people you do not know ready to carry out a set of orders on Blackwood, specifically on your mother and brother, if you ever try to turn on me. You are mine now. I am going to take off the ropes, and you can be whatever it is you want to be, but you are not to touch me. We are going to have a little conversation concerning the rules.”

Bog said nothing, the inside of his mouth now burning where the silver blade had touched. The cut on his neck wasn’t nearly as bad. It had been quick and was just a shallow scratch. Roland untied the ropes but wasn’t gentle or fast about it. He purposely pulled and dragged the silver ropes as much as he could, using this as an exercise to keep the cables in Bog’s mind for a long time. 

When most of the ropes were removed, Bog was able to sit up, taking most of his body off the silver rods in the floor. The rods hurt more than the cables, and they were spaced in such a way he had to stand to avoid them. A moment later, the last rope fell, and Roland stepped back to examine Bog. As a hybrid wolf, Bog’s head towered over Roland even in a sitting position. His ears were back and his head down, staring at the floor. His blood was spattered all over the floor. The wounds were healing, but Bog was exhausted.

Roland walked around a small table and pulled a folding chair up to it. Bog slowly lifted his head and saw there was a second chair on the opposite side. He was tired, but if he shifted to his more natural form, he wouldn’t be touching any of the silver. It took him effort to change, and some of the wounds came with him. They were still healing. He only managed pants and a black t-shirt, the simplest he could think of.

Bog wobbled and staggered to the chair, which brought a satisfied grin to Roland’s face. Bog leaned on the table, his shoulders slumped and gaze fixed on the table. He was a completely defeated man.

“The only rules are that you will listen and obey every command I give you. For now, you will stay here when I have no use for you. I intend to use you as my personal huntin’ dog.” Roland leaned back in his chair, stretching one leg out to kick Bog’s chair. “Look at me, Dog.”

“Bogdan,” Bog muttered, raising his eyes. He still had a little defiance left in him.

“It’s Dog now.” Roland met Bog’s eyes, and he felt him attempting to work his will on him. 

“Call me what ye want. My name is Bogdan Laird.” Bog’s eyes turned hard, and he smiled easily, resisting Roland. Roland whipped the silver blade out and struck Bog in the right shoulder. Bog almost fell out of the chair as the blade impacted and stuck.

“Mind your mouth, Dog.” Roland produced a second dagger, and Bog realized that he wasn’t going to remove the one that was now sticking in his shoulder. “I am goin’ to spend a little time in here teachin’ you manners, then I’m going to get a good night’s sleep for my weddin’ tomorrow.”

Bog grimaced and dropped his head, fighting any other response to the searing pain in his shoulder. He fixed his gaze on the table and tried to think about something else. Anything else. Something to take him away from here and now. His family. The people who depended on him. All of the innocent creatures that he had protected for decades.

“Seriously, did you really believe someone like Marianne would really love you? I mean, look at you. You’re one of the ugliest men I’ve ever seen.” Roland twirled a finger through a lock of his hair.

“She loves me more than she’ll ever love ye even if that is a low bar to rise above.” Bog couldn’t help it. Just saying it dulled the pain. “Doesn’t matter if she loves me or not. She hates ye, and she will never love ye.”

Roland glared at Bog and twirled the dagger between his fingers. “I am the one who is going to marry Marianne tomorrow, and I am going to father an army with her. Literally. Think about that. I am goin’ to take what I want, and you are going to watch.”

Bog said nothing and tried to keep his face blank. He was powerless to do anything about it, and Roland was just verbally tormenting him now. It was only a little better than being stuck by another dagger.

“I’m going to make sure you get to watch the weddin’, Bog. You should be happy for Marianne. She’s marryin’ the best man for her.”

“I will only be happy if she is happy.” Bog mumbled. “If she doesn’t kill ye herself, I’ll be astonished.”

“Oh, I’ve made the same arrangements I made for you with her, and I have let the Kings know. Any harm that comes to me and that little werebeast they’re harboring will be made known. It will be absolutely scandalous for the King family.”

“Dawn is a child.” Bog looked Roland in the eye. “Yer far more of a monster than I could ever be.”

“I’ll be sure to let your mother know where the weddin’ is because that will be the last time they will likely ever see you. I intend to do a little huntin’ to try out my attack dog and go on an extended honeymoon away from Rock Castle.” Roland was probing for everything he could find to unnerve Bog.

“This part of you is useless to me.” Roland motioned to Bog with both hands. “By the time I’m done with you, you will forget you ever masqueraded as a man. I will have you in whatever form I choose, and I know you can do more than the wolf, as impressive as it is.”

Bog stared at the table. “I am more of a man than ye’ll ever be. I don’t feel the need to force a woman to marry me or into bed or to bear children like a broodmare. I am fine never having a woman at all knowing that ye are so inadequate ye had to -” The second blade struck Bog in the chest near the first one. It was deeper and Bog immediately leaned over the table. He gasped once, then raised his head to smile at Roland. “Keep it up, and ye’ll just kill me. I don’t mind.”

Roland was furious, and he proceeded to take it out on Bog. He walked around the table to kick Bog’s chair out from under him. Bog knew better than to try to defend himself, but he did immediately rise to his feet. Then began the beating. Roland backed him up against the wall and punched Bog several times in the gut. Bog did nothing to stop it. Instead, he forced a smile and infuriated Roland more.

“Yer such a coward, ye’ll beat an unarmed man for yer own insecurities?” Bog went down a moment later as Roland grabbed his arm and threw him. The man was strong, even if he was a coward. Then he kicked Bog in the ribs repeatedly until he heard them crack.

“Coward.” Bog spat blood and wheezed as he rolled onto his side. “Ye would never face me in an actual fight.”

“Of course not,” Roland growled, kicking Bog one more time in the stomach. “That’s what separates man from beast. I can out-think you and not even get my hands dirty. It’s perfectly fair. Now, get in the cage.” Roland stepped aside and gave the order.

Bog wobbly got on his hands and knees and painfully crawled into the cage and onto the mat where he collapsed. He was careful to land on his left side to avoid the daggers still sticking out of his right shoulder and chest.

“Good dog. Maybe I’ll let Marianne watch our session tomorrow night.” The door was pulled closed and locked. Roland shut off the lights as he left, leaving Bog in the dark.

Bog sighed and immediately grabbed for the closest dagger. The handle was inlaid with silver, and it burned, but he jerked it out quickly and let it fall to the floor in front of him. Blood gushed from the wound, but Bog wasn’t worried about it. He had to get the second dagger out before he could work on healing the deep wounds. The second one was stuck more firmly in, and Bog had to work at it.

When the blade clattered to the floor, Bog gave a heavy sigh of relief. He could let the wounds heal on their own, but if he lost more blood, he would be even weaker the next day. Bog muttered and pressed a hand to the open wounds, sealing them immediately. Then he let his hand fall and allowed sleep to overtake him. At least while he slept, he couldn’t feel the pain that Roland had inflicted and he had the satisfaction of knowing what Roland’s trigger was.

-=-=-=

Marianne was not happy to hear her phone ring early the next morning and hear Roland’s voice on the other end. He was entirely too cheery announcing to her that the wedding would occur at 7 that evening at highly sought after old church. Roland made all the arrangements for transportation, her hair, and makeup. Then he went on about the trip they were going to go on immediately afterward.

Marianne kept her answers to one word while Roland gushed on and on about how beautiful she was and what a good time they were going to have like they were really in love. He peppered his conversation with enough Buttercups, Sugar Plum, and Honeybunny’s that Marianne felt ill.

She was relieved when he finally hung up and went back to sleep. She tossed and turned, wept, got up, and walked around. At some point, she ended up at her desk, idly surfing the internet, pulling up the pictures Dawn sent her, and weeping about the things she had missed when she was at the ball with Bog.

In her weariness, she knew she made her decision, and now she needed her father to pull together a miracle.

-=-=-=-=-

Bog’s wakeup was far worse. He also had to wake up to a cheerful Roland coming in to check on him and gloat. Roland did bring breakfast; however, it was still alive. A relatively large white rabbit was pushed into Bog’s cage. Bog ignored it, and an hour later, someone came in and shot it in the back. Bog put it out of its misery and pushed it through the bars. He expected that to happen, and he knew what Roland was doing.

Bog would resist every attempt to dehumanize him. Roland could call him Dog and only feed him live animals all he wanted. Bog was more stubborn than he could imagine, and he would rather die than amuse Roland. He had no problems hunting and eating a fresh kill, so that wouldn’t work on him, but Roland didn’t know that. Lyceans were people who turned into animals, and that was it. They didn’t have an ‘animal’ side or nature to fight, just a normal human one that enjoyed running wild.

Shortly after the rabbit was killed, one of Roland’s men paid him a surprise visit. Bog regarded the man with suspicion as he entered, pretended to check on Bog, and slipped him a massive breakfast burrito. Bog just stared at the man as he whispered, “Lucas is going to get you out of this. Eat fast. The cameras will only be off for a short time.” Bog was suspicious, but starving for real, actual food he enjoyed.

There was nothing wrong with the burrito other than it lacked a really good spicy salsa. It did seem to be packed with a little something extra that gave Bog more energy than he should have. He had a bit more hope to work on now.

-=-=-=-=-

Lucas had spent most of the night making phone calls and drinking copious amounts of coffee. He had also sent out a vast amount of money via wire and couriers. Roland was a small fish in a big pond. Lucas was an alligator. He was doing everything he could to make sure the man would be crushed, but things were not moving as quickly as he wanted. It was noon when he made the last call and then just had to wait to see how things unfolded.

The last call he made was to Blackwood Tavern. It was a short call, assuring Zelda Laird that he was going to do everything possible to help her son. The woman was an absolute wreck, and he could fully understand that. He did his best to calm her and was informed Roland invited her and Sunny to the wedding through a man who was hanging out in the tavern watching them. 

Lucas directed Zelda to get that man on the phone, and after a short conversation paid him off to leave them alone with instructions to have all of his associates call him. It turned out the man was not happy with what Roland had ordered him to do and what had happened to the Laird home. A lot of the other hunters were unhappy about it. Lucas had already gone through most of Roland’s men by that time.

Lucas was pleased that while hunters had a reputation for indiscriminately hunting lyceans and vampires, there was a large number who understood that they were still human and not all monsters. 

-==-=-=-

Dawn ignored her phone, which kept beeping from the top drawer in her dresser. She wasn’t sure she wanted to see what Sunny was texting her. He might be mad at her, and the thought of her best friend being angry with her was more than she could bear.

She had messed up so badly. She should not have interfered, but she couldn’t stop herself when she saw Bog shift. It immediately set off a need in her to help him. She tried to hold back, but when he went down, and the hunters moved in, she couldn’t stop.

Bog was her friend, and Dawn felt strongly that he would have done the same thing for her if she had been in his situation. She hadn’t thought the whole thing through and that if they knew she was a King, it would be an awful thing.

And now, because of what Dawn had done, Marianne had to marry Roland. Dawn was so upset that her life was traded for Marianne, and she hated Roland. She had never hated a person in her entire life, but Roland had made it onto that list. He was an awful person, and now Dawn couldn’t talk to two of the people she loved most in her life because of him. Worse. She might never see Marianne or Sunny again.

The phone beeped again.

Dawn glanced around her room, then got up and slowly opened the door. The message was still showing on the screen before it blinked out, but Dawn read it and smiled. Sunny was asking her if she was okay.

=--=-=-=-

The day passed much faster for Marianne than she wanted. Her father kept his phone with him and would walk away, discussing something every ten to fifteen minutes. The calls became fewer and further between as the day went on. The evening was rapidly approaching without a resolution in sight.

In a daze, Marianne was taken to the wedding venue, a large beautiful church. Marianne put on a dress, not the original one since that one was in ashes somewhere. She sat and let the hairstylist and makeup artist fuss over her and comment on what a beautiful bride she was. Dawn joined her when she was almost done, sitting quietly in her bridesmaid dress. She was holding her phone and texting every few minutes but looked nearly as sad as Marianne. The beautician finished her work and instructed Marian to be careful about touching her face, then she left.

“I can’t believe Roland purchased a wedding for over a million dollars,” Marianne stated to the mirror she sat in front of. She could see Dawn seated in the corner. “Just gave them the money and told them to elope, then paid off the bills for every single person who was involved.”

“I don’t want to hear the R-word,” Dawn whispered.

“I don’t either.” Marianne got up and crossed the room to sit next to her sister. She took one of Dawn’s hands in hers and squeezed gently. “How are you doing, Dawn?”

“I’m not the one being forced to marry the R-word.” Dawn sniffled, looking up at her sister. Her face was scrunched up with the effort it was taking to hold the tears back. “I am so sorry, Marianne.”

“Dad’s going to handle it.” Marianne ran a hand through her little sister’s wild hair. It looked like she had slept in it. “Please do NOT shift in the middle of the wedding, Dawn. PLEASE!” Marianne was smiling as she teased her.

“Marianne!” Dawn didn’t appreciate the attempt at humor. Then she wailed, unable to hold it in any longer. “I am so sorry! I’m sorry! I ruined everything!”

“No one is blaming you for anything, Dawn.” Marianne wrapped her arms around her sister and hugged her tightly. “I love you so much. Every part of you. Even the non-thinking ones.” Dawn sobbed against Marianne’s dress, and Marianne hoped it ruined it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Twiddles fingers* So I do enjoy the typical werewolf is NOT nearly as powerful as they appear thing, because they really aren't. They're at a massive disadvantage against Hunters, especially in a modern world. Most of the time, they will run over fighting. Bog made a serious error in eating very little the day he was captured.
> 
> Second to last chapter, because I doubled up. The chapters were too small.
> 
> I DO have a second story almost completed and that will end this series. Then I will concentrate on Blackwood Confidential.   
If you enjoy the story, do let me know! I'm still coughing and under the influence of cough syrup.


	34. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wedding commences.... will all the efforts to stop it actually work?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a final reminder: This is a rough draft. :D

“Ye don’t want me there.” Bog tried to talk Roland out of making him go to the wedding, following him through the house. “I might go crazy and eat someone. It’d ruin yer wedding.”

“And if you do that, I will have Hunters all over Blackwood within an hour, invading that forest of yours.” Roland scowled, stopping in front of a door and motioning to it. “Take your shower, get dressed, and don’t even think about escaping.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” sighed Bog, shaking his head and looking at Roland. “Cleaning me up isn’t going to make me any more photogenic.”

“You’ll be standing in the back of the church, with a Hunter on each side to make you mind.” Roland sneered. “I don’t want to see your ugly face in any photos, so keep your head down and eyes on the floor.”

Bog stepped through the door, taking a quick glance inside at a regular bathroom with a small shower that would be a pain to use. The showerhead came up to his shoulder. “I don’t know why ye want to drag me into a church, I might catch on fire the moment I cross the threshold.”

“I’ll take my chances.” Roland scowled, motioning to the bathroom. “There were at least six churches on Blackwood’s main street and a synagogue.”

“They’re there to contain the evil.” Bog gave Roland his best evil grin, teeth clenched into a vicious snarl, eyes narrowed to cold glinting spots of blue, set into his heavily lined face.

Roland glowered at Bog, unconvinced. “Shower. Wait outside when you’re done.”

Bog scowled back, turning to work out how he would shower in such a confined place. Roland closed the door behind him, leaving him alone. The moment the door closed, Bog slumped against the wall, lifting a hand to his chest. The wounds caused by the silver daggers continually seeped blood, even though he healed them.

After a moment, Bog painfully tugged off his bloody white shirt and studied himself in the mirror over the sink. He had healed the worst of his internal injuries, but bruises covered his torso and arms where Roland had hit and kicked him. Rope shaped burns crisscrossed everywhere, and he realized it was because silver caused them. Bog was a mess and grateful the formal attire Roland laid out for him would cover everything. He didn’t want Marianne seeing him like this.

-=-=-=-=-

None of it had worked, and now Bog stood in the back of the church with the two hunters Roland promised, one on each side. One of them was the one who had given him breakfast. The man was absolutely apologetic when he was forced to handle Bog roughly, and so was the other hunter. Bog wasn’t sure what was going on, but it was better treatment than he had less than 24 hours ago. It was baffling because they knew what he was, and they were trying to avoid hurting him further.

The hunters seemed to be treating him with far more respect when Roland’s back was turned. Between the two of them, they were providing Bog with sips of honey water whenever they could. The tiny gesture eased Bog’s physical pains. Regular healing when a lycean was stressed took its toll. The more stressed he was, the faster his body would try to heal itself, which ended up using far more energy than he had available.

Bog watched the pews fill with disinterest. He already hated weddings, and now he was being given another reason to detest them. No. It wasn’t the wedding event; it was the fact that they represented something he couldn’t have, and this particular one would be pounding that fact in even harder. The church was filling with hunters, most of whom looked confused. He caught snippets of conversation that they were amazed that Marianne had changed her mind. What happened in the first place? There were a few faces who seemed to know what was going on. Those faces looked sad. Nobody paid attention to the tall man in the back, and Bog was glad for that. He probably looked like an usher.

Since they were standing in a church, Bog decided the best way to spend the time and get his thoughts off of what was happening was to begin praying as hard as he could that things would be made right, not just for him, but Marianne, his family and hers. At least he was using the church for what it was meant for and not the awful showy intentions Roland was carrying on.

Then his mother passed through the doors. She saw him and immediately ran up to him sobbing. Zelda threw her arms around Bog, and she hugged him tightly, asking if he was ok. How were they treating him? Were they feeding him?

Bog caught a warning look from Roland standing at the altar with the priest, and he briefly hugged his mother back and stated he was ok at the moment. She clung to him, and Sunny joined her. Both were casting wary glances at Roland.

The music suddenly began, and everyone rose. Bog swallowed hard, and as much as he didn’t want to look, he turned to the entrance to watch for the bride. To his eyes, Marianne was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and today she was exceptional. The dress was far too lacy to have been picked out by her. Bog couldn’t take his eyes off of her. She stared forward, eyes focused on the altar, and Lucas was walking her with a look on his face that was anything but happy. They looked like they were walking to a funeral.

Dawn trailed after Marianne, along with another young lady holding onto the long train that was flowing behind Marianne. Bog kept his eyes on Marianne, fixated at the horror that was about to happen.

The wedding proceeded as weddings do. Bog didn’t hear a single word the priest said. Then.

It was over.

Bog’s heart sank as nothing happened, and he saw Marianne reluctantly kiss Roland. He was going back to the cell and whatever torment Roland had in mind for him. Worse was what Roland was going to do to Marianne.

Roland walked Marianne down the aisle away from the altar, looking pleased with himself. Marianne kept her eyes forward until she was close enough to see Bog, then her eyes met him, and she didn’t take them off of him until she was out of his sight. Bog heard the doors open and lowered his head with a heavy sigh.

Roland suddenly backed away from the doors alone, hands in the air. “Hey, what are you doing? Why are you here?” Bog’s head snapped up as two heavily armed men wearing the ivory tactical combat uniform of the Arcadis Enforcers stepped through the doors and grabbed Roland’s arms. Bog recognized the men. He had treated them to free dinners several times over the last year.

“Roland Greene, you’re under arrest for breaking Arcadis law.” A third man stepped forward, speaking loud enough for everyone in the church to hear. “Extortion, Arson, kidnapping, torture, fraud, coercion and invading a Sanctuary maintained by a Hunter in good standing.” The Enforcer turned his head toward Bog and grinned briefly. Bog nodded slowly in response. He knew this man too. Bog would have thought they were coming for him if they didn’t already have Roland in their grasp. He was so stunned that their words flew over his head. He wasn’t following what was going on.

“No, no!” Roland protested his eyes, locking onto Lucas, who was now standing by Marianne, holding her hand. “Lucas’s daughter is a Lycean!”

“Don’t listen to this man. He’s a liar and a manipulator. His family’s gift is charming people to believe outright lies, but I have set everything straight.” Lucas walked forward. “This marriage is invalid.”

“He threatened my family and made me marry him!” Marianne stormed forward and abruptly punched Roland in the face so hard that his head snapped back, and he was almost jerked out of his captors’ grip. Marianne shook her hand and winced, then walked directly up to Bog.

“Marianne.” Bog wasn’t sure what she was going to do as the hunters at his sides moved away from him. His mother and Sunny were still standing nearby, watching the spectacle in awe.

“I love you, you idiot.” Marianne grabbed the front of Bog’s shirt and pulled him down to her level so she could easily kiss him on the lips. Bog was so startled he didn’t even realize it was happening until he heard the murmuring coming from the confused wedding guests, then he just enjoyed it and didn’t care that anyone was watching. “If you had just TOLD me what you were, none of this would have happened!” She whispered into his ear as the kiss turned into a firm embrace. 

The two men holding Roland held him there while Lucas leaned in and began whispering. “When they get you to the hold, you are going to be given a phone. You call everyone you made deals with about Blackwood and my family and call them all. Right now, I’ll only press for 15 to 20 years for what you have done. If any harm comes to Blackwood, the Lairds, or the Kings, I will see to it that it is over 100. You do not threaten my family. I have more lawyers, money, and contacts than you could ever dream of.”

Roland nodded vigorously in agreement, blood streaming from his broken nose down his face.

“And you are never to step foot in Blackwood or Rock Castle again or speak to any of us. Do you understand me, Roland?”

Roland nodded again. Lucas stepped aside, and the three Arcadian Enforcers escorted Roland through the front doors. He was no longer struggling.

“You know. I’m already in a wedding dress. There’s a minister, and we have a church full of people.” Marianne grinned up at Bog, idly making the suggestion.

“Someone else’s wedding and in a dress that ye wore to marry Roland.” Bog laughed. “Ye just said ye love me and now yer the one proposing? I haven’t even said I love ye yet. How do ye know I even do? I mean, yer just awful. Calling me an idiot after what I’ve been through.”

Marianne smiled. “What can I say. When I know what I want, I go for it.”

“How about in the fall when the trees are just beginning to drop their leaves in Blackwood.” Bog smiled back, not entirely believing what was happening was real. He heard his mother squeal behind him.

“Fall weddings are so beautiful!”

“I like that,” Marianne replied.

“I still haven’t said I love ye.” Bog teased, then he glanced down and noticed that Marianne was wearing his pendant. 

“Please, just tell her you love her.” Lucas joined the group and took his daughter’s arm, “We need to go and have a little chat about your new designation, Bogdan.”

“Uhm. I don’t fully understand what is going on.” Bog admitted in a whisper. He glanced at the hunters who were now standing in the pews talking and beginning to leave.

“I’ll explain when we are in a more private place, Bog.” Lucas motioned to the door. “You all need to hear this.” He glanced at Bog’s mother and Sunny. Dawn was attached to Sunny’s arm.

-=-=-=-=- 

“I’m what?” Bog stared at Lucas as he slid a pile of papers across his desk to him. Marianne was sitting beside in a bright orange shirt with Hello Kitty dressed up as a serial killer holding a bloody knife and a pair of jean shorts with a fringe of white lace at the hems. Dawn whispered gleefully to Bog when they arrived home, Marianne set her wedding dress on fire. Again.

“Your family is registered as Arcadian Preservationists with all the benefits that come with that designation, including law enforcement from Rock Castle.” Lucas smiled at his handiwork. “You may not know this, Bog, well, I know you don’t know this, but there are hundreds of places around the world that were created to preserve familiarses in the wild. You assumed that because we were hunters we don’t care about conservation of rare creatures. We do. These private reserves are run by hunters for the purpose of strengthening and maintaining the old lines, which you have obviously been doing. Nobody is allowed to hunt on these lands, and occasionally creatures are transferred from one preserve to another to strengthen the gene pool.”

Bog stared at Lucas incredulously. “Some of them are run by Lyceans. I was able to gain the support of a dozen reserves to bring Blackwood in retroactively.”

“There are Lyceans who are open about it?” Bog was baffled at the news.

“Unofficially.” Lucas nodded. “You don’t go around telling people what you are now any more than you have in the past. There are two kinds of Arcadians, Bogdan. Those who live in Arcadis and cling to the old ways and those of us who live in the real world. We are only paid to hunt monsters, not people.”

“Okay.” Bog began reading the paperwork carefully.

“Young hunters do not learn about the preserves until they are much older and less… uhh.. hunting happy.” Lucas motioned to Marianne, who was sitting to Bog’s left with both hands wrapped around his arm, “And it never came up in conversation with Marianne. So she did not know.”

“We’re actually going to be safe?” Zelda stared at the stack of papers. “After all these years. We could have been safe if we had just said something to the Kings?”

“My father and my grandfather always respected your secrets, Zelda.” Lucas nodded. “I’m sorry we didn’t try harder.”

“The Lairds are a stubborn lot.” Zelda snorted. “It didn’t matter how hard you tried.”

Bog smiled and began signing the papers.

-=-=-=-=- 

When they were done, Bog and Marianne found themselves standing outside Lucas’ office. Dawn took Sunny off to show him and his mother around her home.

“Well, do you love me or not?” Marianne poked Bog in the side playfully.

“I don’t know, are ye going to keep picking on me?” Bog couldn’t remember the last time he was this happy. Marianne poked him again. “Ye have a nice home.” Bog whirled around and walked away from Marianne, heading to the living room where he could see a nice place to sit.

“Bog!” She darted after him. “Come back here! You’re supposed to be professing your eternal love to me, you goof!”

“I am?” Bog evaded Marianne’s grasp, then he turned and let Marianne run into him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. “Yer demanding.”

“Bog, I love you.” Marianne leaned her head against his chest and wrapped her arms around him. 

“Marianne, I love ye more than I can put into words.” He began whispering. “I loved ye the moment I saw ye and heard yer voice. It sang to my heart and even when I denied it, I knew what all Lyceans know when they meet their match. I would do anything ye asked me just to see ye happy even if it hurt me. At the time, I thought it was best to push ye away because I was afraid, and I’m not exactly a prize.”

Marianne lifted her fingers to Bog’s lips to stop him from going on. “I never want to hear you talk down about yourself again, Bog. Maybe it’s not the same, but my mother was a Lycean too, and maybe I got a little of that knowing myself.” Bog took a few steps back until he ran into the couch, then he awkwardly sat down.

Bog still felt awkward and unsure of what to do. Part of his evasion was fun; the other part was trying to get his nerves settled and accept Marianne’s constant touching. He enjoyed it, but it was all new to him, and he wasn’t sure what to do with his own hands.

Marianne promptly jumped onto Bog’s lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him. Bog threw his arms up at first, then slowly wrapped them around her, holding her tightly, still unable to believe she was there. She was, and she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

“I know something about love,” Marianne giggled and began singing softly. “You’ve got to really want it.”

“I just want to hold you close, feel your heart so close to mine and just be here in this moment,” Bog met her challenge.

“Cause all of me loves all of you. Love your curves and all your edges, all your perfect imperfections.” Marianne reached up to trace a finger over Bog’s sharp cheekbone.

“Where’d you wanna go? How much you wanna risk?” Bog gazed into her eyes. “Just something I can turn to somebody I can kiss.”

“That’s not how that goes!” Marianne laughed.

“It worked together better that way.” Bog gave her a little squeeze. “Is it, is it okay if I call you Love?”

“As long as it’s not Buttercup or Honeybear or any other stupidly cute thing, you can call me whatever you like.” Marianne snuggled into his arms.

-=-=-=-=- 

Lucas glanced into the living room as he left his office. Only for a moment. He didn’t want to interrupt Marianne and Bog’s moment. He smiled. Bogdan Laird was not on the top of his list of what he wanted for his daughter, but she was happy, and he wasn’t Roland. The best part of it was that he knew he would never break her heart. He was truly a good man.

Lucas’ phone buzzed, and he hurried past the living room doors into the kitchen. He pulled it out, and his brow furrowed in annoyance. There was a single sentence on the screen: Roland Greene charmed the guards and escaped shortly after capture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, finished another one!
> 
> The top scene came out of the final draft, which is probably why it reads so well. The previous version was very brief and needed to be fleshed out.
> 
> I am sad I had to completely strip out those song lyrics in my final draft, but apparently using even one line of a lyric gets you in hot water if you publish it. :/ So it's not like quoting a book. :/ But you get it here. (Publishing with names changed of course. >:D ) I'm not that concerned about the rough draft being out there, because this is my first real novel and it was learning experience. It got delayed due to illness.
> 
> IF YOU WANT MORE, COMMENT! I am almost done with the second volume, then I will wrap this up and concentrate on Blackwood Chronicles.

**Author's Note:**

> I had a desire to write stuff BETWEEN Marianne and Bog and since I am not at that point in the other stories... had to do this.


End file.
